Garden favourites: their history and general management in all seasons

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.s.

GARDEN
FAVOURITES;

HISTORY, PROPERTIES, CnLTIVATION,

PEOPAOAIIOS, AHD OEMRAl MANAGEMENT

IN ALL SEASONS,

WITH LISTS OF CHOICE VARIETIES.

/

BT SHIRLEY HIBBERD, /

ibles ud Bay Leaves," "Rnstic Adornnientt for Home* of Tule,

LC

GROOMBBIDOE AHD SONS, 5, PATEKNOSTEE BOW.

/^/

r- /

PREFACE.

Thb completion of a volume of ''Gku:den Favourites and
Exhibition Plowers," calls for but few words by way of preface.
It was projected under a conviction that there had long
existed a want for such a book, and that it would only be
necessary to make it worthy of the place it ought to occupy,
to assure for it a decided success. It is a pleasure to acknowledge
that the success anticipated has been fully realized, and that
"Garden Pavourites" has long since become a favourite with the
readers of horticultural literature. It would be the merest mock
humility for an author to profess himself unconscious of the
excellence of his work, because unless a man considers his
book in some way worthy of publication, his duty is to keep
it to himself; and when the publication of a serial is extended
over a period of twelve months, a steady increase of its circu-
lation; is a fair guarantee that he has not miscalculated his
capabilities. But it is also due to the subscribers, and indeed
to the public at large, no less than to my own sense of
integrity, that I should here acknowledge that I am sensible
of many defects, which the publication of another edition will
enable me to remove.

The treatises being distinct in themselves, have been written
so that any one may be read independently of the others,
and hence some unavoidable repetitions occur. This wiU be
found to be especially the case in regard to the composts

IV PEEPACE.

recommended for the several flowers treated of, and perhaps
also in regard to the several modes of propagating.

In the management of mixed collections, few cultivators
give such special attention to any one subject, as to make its
culture an object separate and distinct from others of its class,
and hence some amount of generalization is necessary. Still
as the instructions are intended to enable the cultivator to
attain the highest possible success in the treatment of any
given flower included in this work, the consideration of its
habit, constitution, and requirements, had of necessity to be
conducted in a manner as much as possible independent of
all others. The experience gained in the special culture of a
favourite flower, according to the principles here laid down,
will, however, readily aflbrd the key to the necessary treat-
ment of others similai-ly constituted; and hence the grouping
of plans and processes, and the association of practices applicable
in the treatment of subjects other than those under immediate
consideration, will take place in the mind of the cultivator,
for after all that may be said as to the management of this
or that plant, practice enables us to proceed auccessfally, with
very few deviations from a uniform system, with plants that
differ considerably, both as to physiological and floral charac-
teristics. Such diflerences as do exist, give the index for
differences of treatment, and to bring any one of our floral
pets to perfection, whether for exhibition or otherwise, demands
iome amount of special attention. I have here endeavoured
to simpliiy the methods generally adopted to that end.

So much of my life having been devoted to flower culture,
the task of writing these treatises seemed, at starting, to be
an easy one. I have found it far otherwise. To have produced
a mere compilation, would have been as simple as it would
have been unsatisfactory. There are enough of compilations
to show that men who have scarcely got so far as to turn a
plant out of a pot without breaking it to pieces, may yet
undertake to teach the more reflned of the departments oi

PBEFAGE. Y

hortijBnlture. Bat to produce an original work, based on
practical experience, and intended to serve as a faithful guide
to the beginner, and even as an adviser to the adept, I found
to be not alt(^ther free from difficulties, and the department
which has occasioned me the most anxiety, is that devoted to
the selection of varieties under the several subjects treated of.
The making up of these lists has cost me much more labour
than would be supposed by readers not thoroughly cognizant
of the hazardous nature of the task, for while it was necessary
to include, in every case, as many new flowers as could be
conscientiously recommended, it was also necessary to guard
against the introduction of varieties, which, in spite of the
praises lavished on them by those interested in the sale of
mere novelties, might prove altogether unworthy of the amateur's
attention. When a variety has stood the test of time, we
may deal with it boldly, but in the first or even second season
of a flower, there is much risk incurred either in its purchase
or recommendation, for spite of the highest promise, it may
£Edl altogether to realize the expectations raised in its favour.
Looking at the lists as they stand, I must say I see little
that need be expunged or amended; and though many useful
varieties are omitted, simply because to include all would have
been next to impossible, the purchaser who may need a
guide in selecting stock, may choose from these lists with the
most perfect safety; for there is scarcely a flower entered for
the excellence of which I cannot, from personal knowledge,
vouch. To the beginner these lists will be of great service
as guides to the formation of collections, and I have endeavoured
to include as many varieties of colour and marking under the
several heads, as a limited selection would admit of. To those
who possess good collections, many of those named in the
lists may be found useful as valuable additions; and of the
newest varieties — truthfulness to the descriptions given of them,
and proba\)le permanence of character, have been anxiously
thought of in selecting and arranging them.

VI PBEFACE.

As to the getting up of the work, I must here acknowledge
how much I am indebted to the proprietors, who have spared
no expense to meet my wishes in every possible way. The
plates are, considering the price of the work, admirable examples
of colour-printing, and as they are portraits taken from the
life, or copied from authentic originals, they may be relied
upon as faithful to the letter.

In conclusion, I beg to tender my thanks to those profes-
sional and private growers who have assisted me by loans of
drawings, and permission to copy them, for the embellishment
of the work, and in suggestions and advices of a practical
nature. I am much indebted to Mr. Turner, of Slough; Messrs.
Henderson, of St. John's Wood; Mr. Holland, of Middleton;
Mr. Salter, of Hammersmith; Mr. Cutbush, of Highgate; and
Mr. Tysoe, of WaUingford. The late Mr. Lawrence, of Hamp-
ton, who for many years stood in the front rank among growers
of the Tulip, very kindly aided me with some valuable sug-
gestions when the treatise on that flower was preparing for
the press; and if it is pleasant to have the assistance of men
of the highest eminence in their several departments, for the
simple asking, it is still more pleasant to acknowledge it with
thankfulness.

To the many readers who have accompanied me during the
past fourteen months, I here ojffer a cordial farewell, trusting
that we may some day meet again on the old ground of mutual
love and enthusiasm, for the favourites of the greenhouse and
the garden.

/V

CONTENTS.

PAOB.

, 4- RANUNCULUS . 3

I ^TULIP .19

i ^ HYACINTH 49

-CALCEOLARIA 71

^GERANIUM 89

k - ROSE 121

^ ^ DAHLIA 185

CHRTSANTHEMUM 215

- V, CARNATION, PICOTEE, AND PTNK 245

;, /AURICULA, POLYANTHUS, AND PRIMULA .... 288

< FUCHSIA 813

-X PANSY 829

'' PHLOX 840

' VERBENA 841

'"* "PETUNIA 861

' CINERARIA 869

EXHIBITION FLOWERS.

THE

TULIP:

ITS

fflSTORY, PROPERTIES, CULTIVAnON,
PROPAGAHON, AND GENERAL MANAGEMENT

IN ALL SEASONS.

BY SHIRLEY HIBBERD,

Author of ''Rustic Adornments for Homes of Taste," etc.

"The varied colours run, and while they break
On the oharm*d eye, the exulting florist marks
With secret pride the wonder of his hand.

• • • •

Infinite numbers, delicacies, smells.
With hues on hues expression cannot paint.
The breath of nature, and her endless bloom.'*

LONDON:

GROOMBEIDGE AND SONS, PATEBNOSTER EOW.

xnoccLyn.

THE TULIP.

CHAPTER I.

"Near the cot
The reed fence rises round some favourite spot;
Where rich Carnations, Pinks with purple eyes,
Proud Hyacinths, the least some Florist's priue,
Tulips tall stemmed, and pounc'd Auriculas rise."

Crabbe.

BOTANICAL AND HISTOEICAL NOTES.

The Tulip is the oldest and most renowned of the glorious
£amily of florists* flowers. It has a name in history; it has
been associated with many social and political changes, and for
two hundred years has sustained a name and fame glorious to
remember. But it is young still, spite of its age, and the wild
excitement of scenes in which it has played the principal part.
It is young and beautiful, a pet with every heart that is capable
of delicate emotions, and deserves for ever to be the pride of the
florist, as it for ever will — the most perfect representative of
beauty as represented in colour. Poets delight to sing of rain-
bows, and peacocks* plumes, and the thousand hues of flame and
flood as seen in sunsets, and storms, and forests fading in autumnal
brown, but here is a combination of all the images, and an em-
bodiment of all the tints of snow-flakes, rainbows, silver, gold,
and fire that ever were seen or heard of by living men. If Flor-
iculture has of late years so much increased the number and

c

20 THE TULIP.

Tariety of first-class flowers, that the Tulip is now and then for-
gotten amid the press of novelties, it nevertheless re-asserts itself
with every spring, and before all competitors bears away the palm
of victory. We may smile or even weep at the extravagant
follies of fashion that are unveiled to us in the history of the
Tulip, and yet no one with a spark of genuine floral enthusiasm
ever visited a fine collection when in bloom without being more
or less bitten by a Tulip-mania! Who shall say which of the
senses has the greatest power over the mind And emotions?

In the Linnean system the Tulip belongs to the sixth class —
Hexandria — and the first order of that class — Monogynia — ^the
flower having six stamens of equal length, and one stigma. In
the natural system it is a member of the extensive order
TulipacecBt in which, besides the Tulip, is comprised many
garden and greenhouse favourites — the noble Yucca, the Frittu
laria, Calochortus, Lilium, Gloriosa, Asphodelecej and the dog
violet. All these are plants that have a regular perianth of six
segments, with six stamens, and a capsule of three cells, opening
by as many valves. In the Tulip the flowers are erect, and
produced singly; in the orange lily they are in umbels; and in
the lovely Yticca they are in racemes and drooping; but in their
classification the indicative features are much the same in both
the artificial and the natural system.

The history of Tulip-cultiire and Tulip-madness would furnish
a mass of curious and instructive material for a very voluminous
work. It is a history full of interest, not less for the lover of
the flower than for the observer of human life and its strange
follies and eccentricities. Here is a flower which, in its original
wild form, is a pretty but humble and innocent thing, yet it
possesses the elements requisite for turning the heads of half
Europe, as it really did between the years 1634 and 1637; and
those elements are to be found in its capability of sporting into
huge forms and splendid hues imder the skilful treatment of the
enthusiastic florist, who never dreams that so good a work will
have so sad an ending.

At the beginning of the seventeenth century, certain flowers
were specially petted by florists, and the changes wrought in
them led to the establishment of a new branch of trade, whereof

THE TULIP. 21

tbe head-qnarters were the Netherlands. The phlegmatic Dutch-
man, never at a loss for a means to tnm an honest x>enny, felt
his blood warm up in the admiration of some curious sports of
nature, and a rage for double flowers opened the way to a wide
appreciation of the artistic value of flower-sports of all kinds, and
especially of those which occurred among the favourites of the
garden. Not that double flowers, or even such as differ in form
and tint from the species producing them, are invariably the result
of human skill, for sports occur amongst wildings to such an extent
that our botanical works are burdened with the names of plants
designated as species, which from time to time are found to be
mere varieties; and a large number of the kinds which swell out
catalogues are the offsprings of hybrids that have had no help of
florist to marry the parents of them. Hence Plorimania never
grew out of any special ireak of nature, but simply from some
few of the dame's ireaks being noticed, admired, and thence con-
verted into marketable commodities to appease, or rather stimulate,
the universal appetite for curiosities and novelties. The Dutch
were the first to encourage a taste for what are now known as
florists' flowers, and in Holland the passion attained to fever heat
during the first half of the seventeenth century, the Tulip being
the chief object of competition, rivalry, and speculation.

Gresner bears the historical honour of first introducing the
Tulip to the notice of cultivators; he it was who first figured
and described the flower correctly, and the opinion generally
obtains that Tulipa Gesneriana, so named from him, is the
parent of the several splendid varieties that claim so much
anxious care from the florist. He himself says that he first saw
the flower in the beginning of April, 1559, in the garden of the
learned and ingenious counsellor John Henry Herwart, at Augs-
berg. In less than twenty years it began to be known generally
throughout Europe, and was regarded as an importation from Persia,
by way of Constantinople. Though this opinion has been very
generally adopted by botanists, it should not be forgotten that
the British Flora contains a wild Tulip, which is occasionally
met with on chalky soils in southern districts, and this Tulipa
sylvestris maj, during two centuries of Tulip-culture, have con-
tributed somewhat, towards the hybridizing of various forms of

22 THE TULIP.

T. G^sneriana, the historical parent of our infinite superb Tarieties.

The industrious G«rarde could not forget so rare a gem as the
Tulip had already become in his day, for in 1597, he writes that
his friend, "Master James Garrett, a curious searcher of simples
and learned Apothecarie in London, had undertaken to finde out,
if it were possible, the infinite sorts by diligent sowing of their
seeds, and by planting those of his own propagation, and by others
received from his friends beyond the seas, for the space of twentie
yeares, not yet being able to attain to the end of his travaile,
for that each newe yeere bringeth forthe new plantes of sundrie
colours not before scene, all which, to describe particularly, were
to roll Sisyphus* stone, or number the sands."

As soon as a knowledge of this bright Prot«us had made its
way into Holland, the Dutch merchants, who were always fond
of flowers, began to trade in the bulbs, procuring their supplies
from Constantinople, and it is generally believed that the first that
were planted in England were sent from Vienna about the end
of the sixteenth century. Hakluyt says, "they were procured
thither a little before from Constantinople by an excellent man,
Carolus Clusius." They were later still in becoming known in
France; but in 1611 we have a record of their culture in the
garden of the celebrated Peiresc in Provence.

As the Dutch trade rose, persons of wealth and leisure began
to be excited on the subject of Tulips; splendid collections were
formed, new varieties produced in considerable number, and an
extensive demand created for certain kinds that had acquired fame
for their fine properties. The rage spread; prince and peasant,
scholar and clown, were all soon entangled in the meshes of a
panic, and, as in the case of the railway bubble of 1845, the
number of sales exceeded the number of Tulips to be sold; in fact,
they became objects of morbid speculation, and certain kinds were
bartered and re-bartered without passing through the hands, or
ever being seen or known except by name, by the vendors. Some
of the scenes preserved to us of Tulipomania, are as ludicrous as
others are saddening; indeed it must ever be a vexation to a true
lover of the flower to reflect how many rogues and fools have
made their names historical through it. Among other records of
the high value set upon certain famous kinds^ Hirschfeldt states

THB TULIP. 23

that in the register of the city of Alkmaar, in 1637, is an entry
of a sale of Tulips, for the benefit of the Orphan Hospital, when
one hundred and twenty Tulips, with their o£f-sets, were pubhclj
sold for nine thousand florins, and one of those, the Viceroy, brought
four thousand two hundred and three florins. As a florin was then
the equivalent of an English bushel of wheat, the amount in
modem English money would be £1576 43. Od. for a single tulip!

Beckmann, in the ^'History of Inventions," states on Dutch
authority, that four hundred perits in weight (less than a grain)
of the bulb of a Tulip, named Admiral Leiften, cost four thou-
sand four hundred florins — £1650 Is. 6d. modem English money
— and two hundred perits of another, named Semper Augustus,
realized two thousand florins. It once happened that there were
only two roots of this sort to be had, — the one at Amsterdam,
and the other at Haarlem. For one of them four thousand six
hundred florins, together with a new carriage, two grey horses,
and a complete harness, were oflered, and for the other twelve
aeres of land. "Those," says Beckmann, "who had not ready
money, promised their moveable and immoveable goods, house and
lands, cattle, and clothes. The trade, in which sixty thousand
florins were sometimes cleared in one month, was followed not
only by mercantile people, but also by the first noblemen, citizens
of every description, mechanics, seamen, farmers, turf-diggers, foot-
men, chimney-sweeps, maid-servants, and old-clothes women. At
first every one won, and no one lost. Some of the poorest people
gained in a few months houses, coaches, and horses, and figured
away like the first characters of the land. In every town some
tavern was selected, which served as a change, where high and
low traded in flowers, and confirmed their bargains with the most
sumptuous entertainments. They formed laws for themselves, and
had notaries and clerks.*'

This is merely the gambling part of the story — ^the love of flowers
had nothing to do with it — the traffickers knew nothing of the
sorts on which such high prices were set; and had the trade sud-
denly ceased, but few of them would have known how to preserve
or propagate the kinds which had attained to such high but tem-
porary values. The grave, big-headed, otherwise well-balanced
Dutchmen had gone completely mad. Sums were paid for roots

24 THE TULIP,

which were never received — ^that were never wanted, except to
sell again and again, and at each sale the commodity remained
in nubibus. A nobleman wonld meet a sweep, give him two or
three thousand florins for a few Tulips; the nobleman would then
sell them at a higher price to a speculating farmer, and he again
to another, though not one of the parties saw, or wished to see,
the roots on which the bargains were made. Indeed, for several
seasons there were more roots sold than were to be found in all
the gardens of Holland. Their names changed hands again and
again, till a whole herd of ''stags*' stood between the first vendor
and the last purchaser, and when Semper Augustus was no longer
to be had, which twice happened, there was no kind in greater
request, or which was bought and sold more frequently. "In three
years more than ten million florins were expended in this trade
alone in one town in Holland."

When the bubble burst fearful was the result; the last buyers
were the victims, and the sorts that had cost a fortune for each
single bulb, fell in value suddenly to nothing. Thousands were
ruined, Tulips were cursed, and for a time owners of famous
varieties failed to find purchasers. The Dutch government inter-
fered, and it was enacted that every seller should produce and
offer his bulbs to the purchaser, and in the event of the latter
refusing to receive them, the vendor had it in his power to retain
the roots, and sue for damages.

When this morbid excitement had had its day, the Tulip was
once more restored to its true place as a splendid production of
floricultural art, worthy of healthy admiration, patient culture, and
a legitimate price. At the beginning of the eighteenth century
the flower was in its highest fame as an object of fair trade and
cultural rivalry, and in England the passion for Tulips was at its
climax, but without the fever of panic. In 1817, says Neill, in
his "Historical Tour," the general price of choice bulbs varied
from three to ten guilders, (a guilder being equal to Is. 8d.;) a
few kinds were valued at from ten to twenty guilders, and the
most select, new, and rare varieties seldom fetched more than from
twenty to fifty guilders. Amongst the most famous of the Tulips
of 1817, were the Universal Conqueror, Pompe Funebre, and Char-
bonnier Noir, with yellow grounds; Louis XVI. and Toilette

THE TULIP. 25

Superienre, with white grounds, and the price of them was one
hundred guilders (£8 2s. 6d.) a hulh.

Later prices contrast strangely even with these, for in the Grar-
dener's Chronicle of 1846, is a record of the sale of Mr. Thackeray's
collection, when many really fine show-flowers averaged not more
than half-a-crown a bnlb; yet there were still sorts considered
worthy of high prices. In 1848, Polyphemus, Shakspere, Sir H.
Pottinger, The Queen, Lady Sale, and Grace Darling were the
leading fashionable kinds, and the two latter frequently realized
from three to four guineas a bulb. Polyphemus, a Bizarre first
broken by Mr. Lawrence, realized from twelve to twenty guineas
a bulb for several years after it first became known; and Mr.
Groldham some years ago refused £100 for Louis XVI. It is
seldom that any Tulip now-a-days realizes more than twenty
guineas, which is the price this season of "Charles Williams," a
Bizarre of Mr. Lawrence's.

These commercial changes have little or nothing to do with the
merits of the Tulip as a floral favourite. It is a pet still, and
will ever remain so, simply because it is a "thing of beauty."
Florists will vie with each other in the tasteful and honourable
enterprise of raising new sorts of intrinsic merit; and if Mr. Groom,
the late king of the Tulip world, is no longer in the ranks of
growers and exhibitors, there are such men as Tyso, Lawrence,
Turner, and Dr. Hardy still devoted to it, and thousands of cul-
tivators, rich and poor, continue to find in the Tulip a source
of the most pleasurable recreation and healthy excitement,
sufficient to sustain the prestige of this glorious flower, and ensure
the preservation and improvement of its character for succeeding
generations of admirers.

26 THE TULIP.

CHAPTEB II.

"Who thou, O Tulip I thy gay painted breast
In all the colours of the sun has drest?
Well could I call thee, in thy gaudy pride,
The Queen of Flowers."

Kleist.

YABIETIES OF THE TULIP,
AND PBOPEETIES OF SHOW FL0WEB8.

Now and then we hear remarks made by growers of flowers,
as we also meet with vague hints in the pages of horticultural
works, which prove that the opinion is pretty general that many
kinds of plants are becoming exhausted through excessive culture.
Such remarks are not boldly made, so that the subject can be
brought to discussion: they are but the shadowings of a shadowy
faith, that would soon take a substantial form, if encouraged by
a few striking facts. We really know so little of the capabilities oj
vegetation, that in the face of its apparently infinite productiveness,
any idea of ultimate exhaustion must, on a moment's reflection,
be seen to be absurd. The idea arises out of that tendency of
the mind to impose limits and boundaries to whatever comes under
its consideration, not from any positive tendency to cessation hitherto
observed in the tribes of cultivated plants. We know that excessive
culture of a certain kind will at last bring the strain to a stand
still, or at least render it so tender or so infertile as to serve us
as a threat; but this is not the result of the exhaustibility of the
race, but a special weakness resulting from that certain kind of
culture to which the plants have been subjected. The judicious
florist will never forget that nature has at least something to do
with his work; it is not all art, and hence in his hybridizing ex-
periments, he will not forget strength while searching for beauty.
So happily has this been eflected in the improvement of the Tulip,

THE Tcur. 27

tiiat, spite of the Iiigh floral condition of the plant, it is M robust
as ever, and the Protean power of change, which is the very soul
of floricultnre, ia in no whit exhausted, nor does it appear Ukely
to be exhausted as long aa the culture of the flower continues
to be scientifically practiaed.

That culture has aSected extraordinary lesults in the Tulip, let
the wild flower, Talipa sylveitrit, or its congener, T. getneriana,
the reputed parent of all oar splendid varietiea, testify. Here is
the Wild Tulip of our own limestone soils, a pretty, quiet, unas-
suminji; thing. When examined it is found to conaiat of a cup of

Tnllptl BflTtstris.

six e^ments, all coloured, and an obaerrer unacquainted with
botany would consider it destitute of a calyx. Bnt three of those
di-risions are the sepals of the calyx, the other three the petals
of the corolla; the whole of the flower being coloured is a main
element in ^e attractiveness of the TuUp. This wild flower is
yellow, its divisions are pointed and open, with but a very poor
approximation to a cnp. In the wild IJevantine Tuhp a similar
open and spreading form is seen, and if we contrast with either
of these a model outline of an Exhibition Tulip, we see exactly
what floriculture has in this instance accomplished, or must accom-
plish ere the standard of perfection be attained.

28

THE TULIP.

This diagram represents the standard of form and dimensions
which the florist is to keep in view in every effort to improve the
Tulip; the nearer the flower in its circumference approaches to

a circle, the more worthy is it to take a high place. It must have
six petals turning up goblet fashion from the base, and the goblet

Extreme depth of cvp.

Extreme shaUo^Rmess of cup.

THB TULIP. 29

itself may be either shallow or deep, provided it conforms to a
definite symmetry of outline, and, generally speaking, the deeper
it is the better. If we conceive a well-turned ball to be hollowed
out after one-third of its circumference has been sliced off, we
shall have just the figure of a well-formed Tulip; it will still be
well formed if it represents the half of the same hollow bsCll, but
less than one-third would be too shallow, and more than two-thirds
too deep. It must be neither a tazza, nor a funnel, the outline
must be regular almost to a mathematical .nicety, and it must
appear so firm on the edge as to be fit to drink the dew from
off the brightest May morning that was ever rivalled in tintings
by this artistic fiower. The shape of the cup, when fully expanded,
should be a semi-oblate spheroid; the stalk inserted at the pole,
and the pole a little depressed.

In the colouring there is of course greater latitude; and though
among unnamed Tulips very splendid tintings are to be found,
none are worthy of a place in high-class collections unless coloured
according to the recognised laws of properties. There are four
distinct classes, and many subdivisions of each of these. The
classes are first, Bibloemens; second, Bizarres; third, Eoses; and
fourth, Selfs.

BihUemens are such as have a white ground variegated with
violet, brown, or purple.

Bizarres have yellow grounds variegated with purple, scarlet,
rose, or dark velvet.

Roses have white grounds with rose tintings of various shades,
from blush to deep crimson.

Selfs are of one clear uniform colour, the yellow and white are
the most esteemed, the purple or red are usually valued for giving
new tints to hybrids, and hence are called breeders.

In each of the first three classes the variegations must be in
accordance with rule. The distribution of the tints must not be
in any random or blotching way — mere colour not being the object
of the grower, or the point rewarded by judges. The markings
have three distinct forms, though two only are usually assigned
to them. The cuts here given will explain the three kinds of
markings; that called the Elame is a distinct set of lines on the
centre of each petal: it must be regular in itself, and uniform, on

THE TDLIP.

the aeveral petals of ^hich the flower is composed, with no lateral
breakings or spots, Bnd not the least adventitious stain of anj
other colour tdan those which give character to the flower. This

is a Idnd much prized in the aonthem counties, particularly near
London, though but little sought by growers elsewhere — it is the
flame without the feather.

THB TTTLIP. 31

The Peather is a disposition of tints around the edge of each
petal; when well defined it has the appearance of a sharp edging^
resembling the feather part of a quill. This is the feather without

the flame.

The third kind is a combination of the previous two, namely.
Flame and Feather. In this case the points of the flame should
meet the feather, at the same time preserving a sufficiency of
the ground colour between the flame to display it to advantage**
the flame must occupy the centre of each leaf, and the feather
extend around the margin, the sharper and more distinct in tone
the better.

The following is Hogg's criterion of a fine variegated late
Tulip: — "The stem should be strong, elastic, and erect, and
about thirty inches above the surface of the bed. Tie flower
should be large, and composed of six petals: tiiese should proceed
a little horizontally at first, and then turn upwards, forming
ahnost a perfect cup, with a round bottom, rather widest at the
top. The three exterior petals should be rather larger than the
three interior ones, and broader at their base: all the petals
should have perfectly entire edges, free from notch or serrature;
the top of each should be broad and well rounded; the ground
colour of the flower, at the bottom of the cup, should be clear
white or yellow; and the various rich-coloured stripes, which are
the principal ornament of a fine Tulip, should be regular, bold,
and distinct on the margin, and terminate in fine broken points,
elegantly feathered or pencilled. The centre of each leaf or
petal should contain one or more bold blotches or stripes, inter-
mixed with small portions of the original or breeder colour, abruptly
broken into many irregular obtuse points. Some florists are of
opinion that the central stripes or blotches do not contribute to the
beauty and elegance of the Tulip, imless confined to a narrow
stripe exactly down the centre, aod that they should be perfectly
free from any remains of the original or breeder colour. It is
certain that such appear very beautiful aod delicate, especially
when they have a regular narrow feathering at the edge; but
the greatest connoisseurs in this flower unanimously agree that
H denotes superior merit when the Tulip abounds with rich
colouring, distributed in a distinct and regular manner throughout

32 THE TULIP.

the flower, except in the bottom of the cup, which should be a
clear bright white or yellow, free from stain or tinge, in order
to constitute a perfect flower.'*

After all, it must in candour be admitted that there is no fixed
and reliable standard by which to determine the properties of a
flrst-class Tulip, either as regards form or colouring. What with
double naming, the confusion arising from the multiplicity of
worthless sorts, and the diversity of opinions that exist, even
among celebrated growers, both as to properties and culture, an
entire revolution must yet be eflected, and some distinct rules
generally agreed upon, for the guidance of all who take a sincere
interest in this flower, ere it can be freed from the quackery that
has for centuries injuriously influenced its value and character,
and that even to this day, is the great impediment to its universal
acceptance as one of the grandest of true florists* flowers.

THB TULIP. 33

CHAPTER ni.

"Bright Tulips, ve do know
Te had your coming hither;
And fading time doth show
That ye most quickly wither."

HlUUUCK.

THE CULTIVATION OF THB TULIP AS A SHOW-FLO WEB.

The treatment of the Tulip, when grown as a fancy flower, is
very different from that which it receives when used as an ordinary
garden ornament. In the hands of the fancier its management is
regulated by strict rules, often, it is true, of an empirical nature,
yet strikingly illustrative of the value set upon it, and the devotion
of patient ingenuity to its culture. There are some differences in
the plans adopted; as in various districts there are also many and
great differences in the values attached to certain kinds, dependant
of course on the taste and fashion of the locality; but the necessary
details of culture, cleared of all personal or local peculiarities, are
as follows: —

The TuHp bed must be on well-drained soil, sheltered from
north and east winds, but not in too close proximity to trees or
walls, which tend to draw the plants. Exposure to sun is essential,
for the Tulip will not produce its colours fairly unless previous
to blooming it has some share of sunshine. The bed may be of
any length, but a breadth of four feet six inches is that usually
preferred for convenience of culture. When the bed has been
marked out, the soil must be removed to a depth of two feet,
and a properly prepared soil must take its place. The Tulip thrives
best in a compost of well-decayed turfy loam, sharp sand, and
very rotten stable manure, and the compost should be prepared
nine or even twelve months before being used. The Tulip grower
should secure a yearly supply of turf from an old pasture, one
in which the roots of the grass form a thick matting of fibres.
This must be stacked for twelve months, and between every layer
there should be a stratum of hazelly loam. When well rotted

D

34 THE TULIP.

by frequent turning, it should have about an eighth part of its
bulk of very rotten manure, with another eighth of soot and
sharp sand mingled with it, and this compost, sweet, well pulverized,
and thoroughly incorporated, is the best that can be used for the
general soil of the bed. I can safely say that soot is a most
valuable ingredient in the compost for a Tulip bed. I have myself
used larger quantities than I would venture to recommend, not
because it is attended with any risk, but because some beginner
might be led to overdo it. In the absence of a proper compost,
let it be borne in mind that the soil should be loamy and rich,
with a moderate admixture of sand and decayed vegetable matter,
and these qualities may be secured by the use of the manure ^m
an old cucumber bed, well worked up with leaf mould, loam, and
sand, the latter in hberal quantity.

The bed should be made early in autumn, so that it may be
well settled before planting time; and as it will probably sink an

inch or two, the surface must be made up before planting with
a mixture of light mould and sand. When the time arrives for
planting, it will be necessary to give the bed a convex surface;
this may be accomplished with a rake, but the levelling board
invented by Mr. Groom, and here figured, will be found most
convenient, as by its use the surface can be rounded off to a nicety,
and the planting conducted with minute accuracy. The centre of
the bed should be three or four inches higher than the sides;
this is not merely for appearance sake, but for rapidly carrying
off excessive rains.

Early planting is very essential to success. The first week in
November is the time generally observed; about London, Lord
Mayor's Day is very generally adopted, and for those who enjoy
relief from city duties on that day, the planting of Tulips is a
much more remunerative recreation than the spectacle of that stupid
pageant, A dry day should be chosen for planting, the bulbs

should be arranged ready, and the bed marVed off ffith great
r^tdaiity. Many use a line and a dibUe, with a peg acroM it
(o denote tite proper deptL, but the wooden marker is for prefer-
able. The bulbs are to be plaoted six inchee apart, and four inche*
deep, and in a bed of four feet aix inches; thia givea eight Tulips
in a line mcfobb, and a six-inch space at eadi margin of the bed.
When the holes ere made, a little sand should be dropped into
each; the bulb should hare tiie brown slcin removed from the

SectloB qf Tulip bed on Uie Ijincathlre plan.

crown, but widi every care not to inflict the slightest wound, and
when inserted the hole should be filled up with sand. Many
growers plant the bulbs only three or three and a half inches deep,
but such shallow planting is attended with risk by exposing the
plant to the frost early in the year. With the exception of the
ranuncnlos and the anemone, no flower root ought to be planted
less than four inches deep, and with large bulbs, such as hyacinths,
lilies, narcissi, et«., six inches is a proper depth.

30

THE TULIP.

London growers of the Tulip have shaken off many of the em-
pirical rules that goremed the la»t generation of fanciers; when
such rules are entirely got rid of, the Tulip will be grown in
accordance with the laws of horticulture, and it will take its place
as a first-class exhibition flower: at present it is in a certain sense
unhTiofon, The empiricism, which is so detrimental to the extension
of Tulip culture, may be yery aptly illustrated by a note on the
Lancashire method. The preceding figure represents a Tcrtical
section of a Tulip bed on the Lancashire plan. It is made up of
&ve layers or stratums of yarious composts, each of them prepared

with the accuracy and minutce of a formula for the laboratory.
The bottom of the bed, a, consists of a mixture of three-years-old
sifted horse-dung and fine loam in equal proportions; the stratum
above it, b, is made up of two-fifths fine loam, one-fifth sand, and
two-fifths manure. Stratum, c, three-fifths fine loam, one-fifth sand,
and one-fifth very rotten manure. The next one, d, is of fine
loam, and one-fifth sand; and the top layer, in which the bulbs are
planted, of sandy loam alone. The bulbs are planted in pure sand.
Jiow, with the exception of the bottom stratum, which may

THB TULIP. 37

have a liberal share of manure to preserve moisture, and afford
the extreme fibres of the plants a little stimulus, the whole of
the other four layers might as well be mixed up into one compost,
and even then it might be improved by an admixture of a fourth
part rotted turf or leaf mould, for the Tulip, like most other
choice flowers, will reach its highest perfection if grown in a light,
sweet, and nutritious soil, in which there is a fair admixture of
sand, vegetable mould, and manure, without apothecary weights or
exact arithmetical proportions.

For protection against heavy rains and the Hase of the sunlight,
when the plants are in bloom, an awning is absolutely necessary.
There are many plans available for this purpose, from the simple
tunnel of hazel rods to the permanent framework of sufficient
elevation to admit spectators within it, as within a pavilion. If
the collection is sufficiently extensive, it will be found to conduce
to a pleasurable exhibition of them, as well as their convenient
culture, to arrange two beds side by side, with a well made path
between them, and along each of the outer sides. A light but
strong timber erection can then be thrown over these beds, and
fitted with rollers and cords, for the lowering or raising of the
screens, as may be desirable. This plan affords plenty of room,
and a sufficient circulation of air to preserve the health of the
plants, which are apt to be slightly weakened if kept for any
length of time under cover.

Though the Tulip is a hardy plant, it will not bear exposure
to severe frosts. A slight frost acting on the surface of the bed,
k beneficial, but a frost that would penetrate to the root, would
do incalculable harm. Hence shelter is necessary during severe
weather: canvass or matting, or a thick stratum of fern or litter
will give the protection required. The worst effect of frost is
that which occurs when late in the season the just-emerging foUagd
gets firozen, and then quickly thawed by the sun. Where the
grower is not vigilant this frequently happens, for frosts come
suddenly towards the mornings at the season when bulbs are
pushing through the surface, and being followed by powerful sun-
shine, the consequences are often calamitous. Much of the evil,
however, may be obviated by watering the frozen foliage with
water, but one or two degrees warmer than freezing point, and

38

THE TUtlP.

shading off the sun for at least three hours afterwards. Otherwise
fair exposure to the weather is good for the Tulip; there is nothing
gained by inducing tenderness of habit — sunshine, rain, and eren
a cold wind that gires a moderate check, are all good and in con-
sonance with the natural habit of the plant. During March and
April, occasional waterings with manure wat6r will be beneficial;
it should be weak at first, and the strength gradually increased
until the blo<»ii buds appear, when its strength must decrease,
and as the blooms open it must be discontinued. Strong manures
and exciting compounds are always injurious, though the Tulip
will stand as much stimulating as most plants. When once they
are in bloom, no ray of sunlight, nor shower, nor gust of wind
shoidd yisit them, or, in a few short hours^ the work of a season
may be reduced to a wreck.

K K K K

v/ V %f >f

» C C 6) © ^ O €)

Support should be giren betimes, and the greatest possible neatr
ness must be observed. If the bulbs are planted eight across the
bed, they may be arranged in fours for the supports; and each
double row of sixteen Tulips may be supported with four rods,
each rod being placed in the centre of the four, and a piece of
leaden wire turned round the rod, and reaching to each of the
stems.

The best effect in the arrangement of Tulips is to be attained
by arranging them as follows; —

Byb.

Biz.

1
Rose.

Eose.

Byb.

Biz.

Biz.

Rose.

Byb.

THB TULIP. 39

CHAPTER IV.

PEOPAQATION AND IMPBOYSMENT OP THE TULIP.

In the ordinary routine of Tulip culture, there is nothing that
differs materially from the culture of many other bulbs ; but when
we talk of raising seedlings and breaking selfs, the twelve labours of
Hercules seem as nothing in comparison, and even the patience
of Job becomes common-place. Tulips produce offsets sufficiently
freely to ensure progeny of any sorts that may be in request; and
this mode of propagation is attended with no special anxieties or
risks. At taking-up time the grower will see how far his most
highly-prized sorts have increased by offsets, but it will be better
not to remove them then. The bulbs should be stored away care-
fully, as the slightest mistake may lead to a general confusion in
future operations. At the beginning of September the whole stock
should be revised, and every offset removed; the offsets being
arranged with as much care as to sorts as you bestow upon the
bulbs themselves.

When once removed the offsets should be planted as quickly
as possible The second week in September is the latest period
that any such young bulbs should remain out of ground, for they
have to store up pulp for future blooming, and from their incipient
state they lose strength by any continuance of exposure to the
air.

Plant them in precisely the same compost as the mature bulbs,
but bear in mind that if the latter will bear strong manure water,
or a rather large proportion of manurial matters in the soil, these
young bulbs will not stand it without injury; they must have a
sweet porous soil, in which the manure is in a very rotten and
pulverized condition. Plant them two and a half inches deep, in
rows six inches apart. Let the beds be well raised in the centre,
and under and above each bulb put a little finely sifted compost.
In all other respects treat them as mature bulbs, and wait patiently
the result of your labours.

40 THE TULIP.

There are not many amateurs who really lay themselyes out for
raising seedling Tulips; there are few indeed who have the courage
to look forward into futurity, and be content to live for years on
hope alone. Though the Tulip is so essentially an amateur's
flower, professional growers are those who have added the greatest
number of best sorts to the lists. To raise and save seed is not
difficult; any one may do it who can plant the bulbs, and tend them
till they flower.

To hybridize is not difficult either; indeed, very easy with the
Tulip, for its organs of fructification are plainly visible, easily got
at, and require but moderate dexterity to manipulate them. There-
fore as to saving seed there is no difficulty, nor is there any in
raising bulbs from it, but whoever does so must wait; in raising
new Tulips patience is the grand desideratum; there is no royal
road to success.

Tulip seed is usually sown in September or October, but in
my judgment it should be sown as soon as gathered. Pans or boxes
are the best receptacles, but the young plants must not have any
great depth of soil, or they are apt to run away into fibres instead
of forming stout and promising bulbs. Sandy loam without manure
is the best soil; and the only treatment necessary is one that
insures moderate moisture, free exposure to the morning sun, and
shelter from frost in winter, and from drought and excessive sun-
light in summer. At the expiration of the second season they
should be treated as mature bulbs, that is, in July they should
be taken up and stored away, and in the November following
planted out in the usual way. They flower first of one colour,
and the grand thing from that moment is to get them "to break.**

"Breaking** is a technical term applied to the curious process
by which a *eJ^coloured Tulip becomes variegated. All seedlings
are selfs when they first blow, and it is uncertain when the self
will break, or even if it ever will. There is one thing certain,
we must wait, it cannot be commanded; many are the schemes
that have been proposed to hasten this interesting process, on
which depends so many anxious hopes, and sometimes immense
sources of profit. Some have starved them one year, and surfeited
them with gross manures the next; others have exposed them
to successive changes of climate, and others again have gone on

THE TULIP. 41

growing and waiting, giving fair treatment and regular attention,
and all have fared pretty much alike.

On poor soils selfs will break in from one to twenty years;
seven years is the reputed standard, but there is never any cer-
tainty as to when the self will break, or even if it will break at
all. In these cases the averages pay, whether the object be
gratification or profit, or a blending of both. All have a chance,
and what has been done can be done again; therefore every lover
of the Tulip may be assured that he has his chance with the rest
of one day or other making a hit.

Mr. Hogg suggests that the fecundation of an unbroken, by
the pollen of a broken tulip, previously removing the stamens
from the flower of the former, before the anthers have arrived at
maturity, may hasten the process somewhat. And Mr. Groom
recommends change of climate, growing them for a season at a
distance of twenty miles or more away, and then restoring them
to their native site again. But these are only suggestions, nothing
more; though still the suggestions of men ripe in judgment and
experience.

42 THE TULIP.

CHAPTEE V.

SEASONAL MANAGEMENT.

The Tulip is so hardy, and is so much benefitted by a moderate
exposure, except when in bloom, that ordinary attention is all that
it requires. Sufficient has been said in the chapter on culture to
render any further remarks on shading ^d watering unnecessary.
Stagnant moisture is very injurious, and hence a cold wet retentive
soil does not suit well for Tulip culture; neither does a poor
arid one in which moisture cannot be retained. Where such soils
occur, their defects must be remedied by such means as will
readily suggest themselves, in the one case drainage, in the other
the formation of a lower stratum of manure, and in both the pre-
paration of a compost, as already described, will be necessary.
. As the plants progress in spring, they must be guarded against
those morning frosts which frequently make such havoc among our
unprotected pets; and as soon as they show for bloom, let them
have support against wind, and shelter from excessive rain. When
the blooms open they demand all your care, and then the reward,
how great! Proper shading at that time not only ensures the
blooms against the wasting effects of the sun, but greatly lengthens
the period of flowering.

In taking up the bulbs let there be no injudicious haste. If
left too long they may sprout again; if taken up too soon they
may not have ripened, and may decay during winter. The second
error is the one most likely to be committed by the inexperienced,
for there is a tendency in us all to get rid of that which appears
no longer useful for the present, and if the foliage is hastily cut
down, and the bulbs lifted, they may never recover the injury.
When the foliage has done its work will be indicated by its
beginning to decay. Up to that time the leaves are engaged in
the elaboration of sap for the fiiture use of the bulb, and if the
foliage is removed before this has taken place, the bulbs will be
wanting in plumpness and vigour.

If seed is not wanted, the seed-vessels should be removed as

fut as the flowers get shabby, and Ihe sun admitted to tke bed.
The usual sij^nal for cutting down the Jtoieer stems is when the
flowers cease to close at sunset, or when the edges of the petals
exhibit sigos of witheriug. As soon as the foliage begins to
show unmistakeable signs of decay the bulbs may be lilled. A
cloudy day is best for the operation, because of the exhausting
effect of sunshine on the bulbs; they should be at once sheltered
from sun and rain, in an airy place, and lefl to dry till the end
of August or beginning of September, when the oSdcts may be
removed, and the bnlbs stored away, each in the oompartment
assigned to it, number and name corresponding, with as mnob
aconracy as the roll-call of a mihtary compauy.

The annexed figure represents a esse for bulbs, inrented by Mr.
Groom. It will be found a very convenient mode of storing bulbs,
■nd of preventing mistakes either at taking up or planting. Each
bulb should be laid in pure sand, previously well washed and dried;
if it contains the least saline matter, it may attract moisture, and
cause the decay of the bulbs. It contains spaces for eight drawers,
in which the sorts may be arranged in accordance with the planting
of the rows in the beds.

44 TSM TUXIP*.

CHAPTER YI.

THB TTTLIP AS A BORDER FLOWXS.

As a role the pnrdnoen of florists' flowers ure quite a diflerent
clatB £rom dther those who '^collect" pLmts, as iilustratiTe of
the seienee of Botanj, or those who delight in garden scenes, and
to whom bedding plants and shrubs are^most inip<^ant. A large
majority of the cnltiTators of florists' flowers eonflne their at-
tentions to a few fayonrites; thej indulge in but few garden scenes
or general effects — ^frequently indeed they gire their whole attention
to one flower, and a bed or collection of yarieties of that one plant
is their only aim. This is rather to be regretted, for the attain-
ment of proficiency in any one department of gardening is in every
way consonant with the derelopment of gardening in extenso, and
the possessor of a superb collection of Tulips, auriculas, or any
other of the many fancy fiiTourites, might easily combine with his
chosen pursuit the production of a garden scene, wherein his own
pets might play their part in contributing to the general gaiety
and yariety of the borders and parterres. For efiects of this kind
the Tulip is eminently suitable; it is essentially a bedder, and
though its reign is brief, it comes just at the season when a blaze
of colour is not otherwise easily attainable out of doors ; and when
judiciously grouped and mixed with the miscellaneous garden stock,
the eflect is magnificent. Grentlemen's gardeners are sadly behind-
hand as to the decoratiye uses of bulbs generally, and I may say
of the whole series of florists' flowers. Where at aoy country
residence do we eyer see such a thing as a bed of Tulips all in
bloom together, producing an eflect that for brilliance of colour
cannot be surpassed in the vegetable kingdom? Where among
tiie many fine private establishments is a stage of auriculas or
carnations to be found? do not the artizan and the tradesman
monopolize them, and find in their culture a healthftd and joyous
recreation, while his lordship, with a thousand-fold their meaus,
if doomed to remain undelighted by them. Bulbs especially fall
into tills neglect, and perhaps the absence of families from the

THB T17LIF. 45

country-seat at tlie time when they come into bloom, may to a
great extent account for it.

Certainly the Tulip might have a little more attention from
those who delight in a gay flower-garden, but who make no pro-
fession of floricultural enthusiasm. For the drawing-room and
conservatory we have the Due Van ThoU, very dwarf, delightfully
gay, and which are the very best for forcing in pots, the easiest
of things to force, and the heralds in-doors of the opening of the
floral season. For variety there are many very showy sorts of
early Tulips, of which the following are the best, and all are
adapted for .pots or the open borders: — BeautS sans Pareille, rosy
purple; Couleur Cramoisif crimson; Grand Lilas, lilac; PoUebakm
her, white; Semiramis, blue; Marie de Medicis, rose and yellow;
Bosa Mundi, blush; Sunbeam, Vermilion, and Waterloo, scarlet;
and Yellow Prince, fine yellow. Mr. Groom used to have upwards
of one hundred and fifty sort« of early dwarf Tulips, single and
double, in bloom in the second week in April at the Nursery at
Walworth, and any private grower might have a similar splendid
show at very trifling expense, for these are low-priced sorts, and
their time of blooming afibrds opportunity to succeed them with
bedding plants for the remainder of the season.

In mixed borders early and late Tulips are of great value, either
in clumps of one colour or in mixed masses^ backed by shrubby
evergreens; and as the bulbs come out of the ground, some late
blooming bedders can always be found to take their place to ad-
vantage. The amateur who delights in mixed borders, would do
well to remember how much gaiety may be imparted to them by
a good selection of various bulbs. Tulips, hyacinths, snowdrops,
crocuses, narcissi, jonquils, irises — English and Spanish, for
autumn planting; and for planting early in spring, lilies, ranun-
culuses, anemones, tuberoses, gladioluses, amaryllises, tigridias,
and cyclamen — a brilliant assemblage; to which a good selection
of Tulips, early and late, at from ten to twenty shillings a hundred,
or even less for many good garden sorts, would serve as the key-
note to lead off* the whole. What can be more beautiM than the
effect of masses of double Tulips in the borders, their brilliant
colours and many varieties forming the gayest dashes of colour
in any way obtainable from the regions of Flora?

46 THE TULIP.

In the "Town Garden" I called the attention of townsmen to
the excellence of the Tulip as a city flower, either for pots or
the open borders. It is one of its many excellences that it comes
in good condition in the most smoky of atmospheres, and if expen-
siye sorts are avoided, a very beautifol show may be made at a
very trifling outlay; the mere yegetable refuse of the garden, of
which there is plenty at the fall of the year, worked up with
soot and salt, making a good compost for the purpose, if covered
with a depth of ten or twelve inches of sandy loam. The bulbs
should be planted early in October — the bed being made up a
few weeks before — six inches apart every way. If the top soil is
removed to a depth of four inches, and a layer of sand put down,
the bulbs may be regularly arranged, each one just stuck in its
place, and then covered with fine sandy soil, and the surface raked
to a neat convex outline. They will flower stronger and better
in every way if watered twice a week with manure water, the
strength of which should be gradually increased till the blooms
begin to open, when it must be discontinued. Other points of
culture must be regulated by the instructions already given as to
its management as a show-flower. For general gardening purposes,
mixtures of bulbs are the best, and it should be remembered that
the commonest sorts, if the bulbs are sound and from good stock,
are as gaudy in colouring as many that are valued at enormous
rates; indeed, it is not merely the colour wliich determines the
value of a Tulip, but colour is all that ordinary persons require,
and that can be had in extravagant abundance from Tulips of the
commonest kinds. Even the charge against the Tulip that it has
no scent may some day be set aside, for we lately hear that in
Guernsey a race of scented Tulips has been produced, and is
likely soon to be generally known, so that no future poet may
sing as one has already sung —

"Yet no delicious scent it yields
To cheer the garden and the fields;
Vainly in gaudy colours drest,
'Tis rather gazed on than caressed."

Though already it U "caressed" by hundreds of patient enthusiasts,
who labour to obtain for it a general embrace at the hands of
every lover of the bright sisterhood of exhibition flo^^^ers.

\

THB TULIP.

47

A LIST OF FIRST-CLASS TULIPS,

SELECTED FBOM THE STOCK OF MB. LAWBENCE, OF nAMPTOK,

MIDDLESEX.

BIZARRES.

Achilles.

Apellcs.

Captain Cator.

Charles Brown.

Charles Crook, L.

Charles Williams, L.

Clovis.

Coriolanus, L.

Cymbeline, L.

Damascus, L.

Delaforce's King.

Dickson's Duke of Devonshire.

Dr. Horner.

Enterprize.

Everard.

Fabins, L.

Feu de Joie, L.

Fortunins, (Goldham's.)

General Williams, L.

George Hayward, L.

Gloriosa, (Franklin's.)

Glory of Abingdon.

Hamlet, (Brown's.)

lago, L.

John Lyde, L.

King of Tulips.

Lord Collingwood.

Lord John Rusfsell.

Lyndhurst, L.

Marcellus, L.

Memnon.

Nero, (Holme's.)

Pompe Funebre.

Prince Arthur, (Hardy's.)

Prince of Wales, (Groom's.)

Queen of Hearts.

Queen Zenobia.

Rubini, (Groom's.)

Selim, L.

Sir George Cathcart, L.

Sir James Watt.

Smith's Victory.

Sphynx, (Sander's.)

Strong's King.

Strong's Qaeen.

St. Neotts.

Telcmachus.

Ulysses, (Brown's.)

Vivid, ex.

Will Scarlett.

BTBLOMENS.

Ariel, (Holme's.)

Britannia, (Aust's.)

Brown's Magnificent.

Byzantium, L.

Calypso, (Headley's.)

Charles Kemble.

David.

Democrat, (Dixon's.)

Don Pedro.

Duchess of Sutherland, (Walker's.)

Duke of Richmond, (Groldham's.)

Earl of Haddington, (Groom's.)

Eliza.

Elthiron, L.

Emma, (Goldham's.)

Fair Rosamond, L.

48

THE TULIP.

Fanny Kemble.

Gem, (Abbott's.)

George the Fourth, (Holme's.)

Glory, (Franklin's.)

Goldham's Mary Ann.

John Kemble.

Lady Sale, L.

Lord Byron, (Goldham's.)

Lord Clarendon, L.

Lord Dufferin.

Lord John Russell.

Louisa Lawrence, L.

Louis the Sixteenth.

Lysander Noir.

Maid of Athens.

Marshal Blucher, (Goldham's.)

Mrs. Lymbury.

Napoleon, (Goldham's.)

Norah Criena.

Pandora.

Parmigiano.

Prince Charles.

Prince, (Goldham's.)

Queen Charlotte.

Queen, (Delaforce's.)

Queen of the North.

Rainbow, (Goldham's.)

Rutley's Queen.

Saint Cecilia.

Salvator Rosa, (Brown's.)

Sancta Sophia.

Sir Henry Pottinger, (Slater's.)

Sir John Woolmore, L.

Sir Robert PeeL

Starling, (Lyde's.)

Thalia.

Victory, (Franklin's.)

Victoria Regina.

Violet Imperial.

Violet Quarto, alias V. Alexander.

Violet Souvereign.

ROSBS.

Anastatia.

Arlette.

Bacchus, ex,

Byou, (Scarnell's.)

Bion.

Brulante Ecletante, (Bretal's.)

Camuse de Craix.

Clarissima, L.

Cymba, L.

Duchess of Kent.

Duchess of Sutherland, (Groom's.)

Dutch Ponceau.

Enchantress, (Sander's.)

Fairy, (Holme's.)

Fanny Cherito.

Flora Mc*Donald.

Jeffery's Elizabeth.

Kate Conner.

King of Saxony.

La Bell Nannette.

Lady Denbigh, L.

Lady Jane, L.

Lady Wildair.

Lord Derby.

Lucetta, L.

Madge Wildfire.

Magnificent, (Haward's.)

Maid of Falaise.

Maiy Lamb.

Midland Beauty.

Mountain Sylph.

Naomi.

Ponceau Brilliant.

Prince William the Fourth.

Queen Anne.

Queen Eleanor.

Rose Juliana.

Rose Lac.

Sarah, L.

Vicar of Radford.

EXHIBITION FLOWEES.

THE

HYACINTH:

ITS

HISTORY, PROPERTIES, CULTIVATION,
PROPAGATION, AND GENERAL MANAGEMENT

IN ALL SEASONS.

BY SHIRLEY HIBBERD,

Author of "Rustic Adornments for Homes of Taste," ete.

**The varied colours run, and while they break
On the oharm'd eye, the exulting florist marks
With secret pride the wonder of his hand.

• • • •

Infinite numbers, delicacies, smells.
With hues on hues expression cannot paint,
The breath of nature, and her endless bloom."

LONDON:

GROOMBRIDGE AND SONS, PATERNOSTER ROW.

U DCCC LVII.

THE HYACINTH.

CHAFTER I.

HYACINTH LOBE.

In this strange spring of oars, in which the pole nods to the
equator, and cutting east blasts do battle with western zephyrs,
giving VLS sleet and storm to-day, and a genial blue sky to-morrow,
there is no pleasure so acceptable during such halcyon days as
we have, as that experienced during a stroll along wood sides and
through ancient lanes, well hanked by spring flowers. Long ago
the pretty primrose adorned such spots with its hearty greenness
and its lemon-tinted flowers; the pretty celandine that Wordsworth
loyed is in haste to blossom, and in damp, warm hollows is already
spangled with its golden stars; the meadows are promising daflbdils,
the coppices are growing rich in wild flowers, many a buttercup
is a-stir in readiness to splash the country with gold-dust, violets
are in haste to join the troop, and the pretty squill is about to
make the grey woods glorious. In the mossy nooks of Eppiug
Forest, in Coombe Wood, in every unploughed shrubby spot in
the west and south of England, these flowers make a brave gar-
land to welcome in the spring. Northwards they come a little
later, but they do come, and not a single human heart with liberty
to bless it, need pine long for the odours and colours of the thrice
welcome spring. In some favoured spots the squills and violets
literally carpet the ground with their healthy green and right royal
blue; and if we want wild Hyacinths, we need but to wander forth
and gather them, or bestow the benediction of a copper coin on
some weary child who has fliled her basket miles away, and now
plods the city streets to sell them ere they wither.

This wild Hyacinth, known to botanists as Scilla naCans, (the

-E

50 THE HYACINTH.

nodding squill,) and Syacinthus non-scriptus, (non-inscribed,) has
been by the poets confounded with another flower, the harebell,
and to such an extent that an uninitiated reader must get sorely
puzzled as to the meaning of many a bold strophe and pretty
comparison. Homer describes Ulysses as having Hyacinthine locks ;
Sir Philip Sydney, in his "Arcadia," gives Queen Helen Jacinth
hair, with "a rope of fair pearls," which "did play fast and loose
with each other, mutually giving and receiving richness;" and
Milton, in describing Adam, adopts a similar poetic figure: —

"His fair large front and eye sublime declar'd
Absolute rule, and Hyacinthine locks
Round from his parted forelock manly hung
Clustering, but not beneath his shoulders broad."

But the most distinct example of the use of this favourite image
is that where Collins, in speaking of some young Greeks who
fought for liberty, applies it in a more descriptive way —

" Locks divinely spreading

Like vernal Hyacinth of sullen hue,

At once the breath of fear and virtue shedding."

Referring to the vernal squill — the true wild Hyacinth of Britain
— we perceive at once the force and meaning of this favourite
designation of curling locks as "Hyacinthine," for the nodding
squill, with its gracefully arched stem, and prettily recurved
petals, is quite suggestive of classical locks falling on the shoulders,
and then gently curling at their extremities.

But there is another plant known as the wild Hyacinth, which
is not a Hyacinth at all; it is the harebell. Strictly speaking,
the vernal squill, (8. natansj is a distinct species from the wild
Hyacinth, fff. Tion-scriptusJ but they are both members of the
order Asphodeleee, are very much alike, and may here be considered
as identical. These are often described as harebells, but the latter
flower is no Hyacinth at all; it is a campanula, and abounds on
dry banks in open lanes, and in exposed spots on barren and
sandy soils all over the country. While the squill delights in
shade, this glories in full exposure to the light, and to call it a
Hyacinth would be not only incorrect in a botanical sense, but
destructive of the distinct uses of each by the poets. Yet many
eminent English poets have written in ignorance of this distinction;
Charlotte Smith, referring in truth to the squill, says—

"In Qi« Idiu cop«, or eIuiIt delU
WIM dutend knots oT huebdb blow,"

wliicli ia an evident nuBtake; Hjadnths, not IiarebellH, being cha-
racteristic of the "lone copse," wliile the harebell is a flower of
the QpcD slopes, and blooma two months later in the year, Shak-
•pere made no such mistakes, he was too accurate an obserTer of

naloral historj detade, ood it is the true harebell of the hedge-
rows that he speaks of m those fresh and picturesque lines:—

Wlubt Bammer liets, tind 1 llv; be», Fidele,

The flow ' ""'"'

The oiur

There is another confusion as to the classic history of the Hya-
cinth, in the many Teraions whioh exist of the story of the youth
whose name the flower bears. In one version Hyacinth is beloved
by Phtebus, but Zephynis also yearned for his aflection, and
determined that he should die rather than her rival should dis-
place her. Hyacinth, in the joy of hia young strength, was flinging
the quoit, and Zephynis turned the orb aside, and smote the youth

52 THE HYACINTH.

that he died, but from his blood sprang up a flower to perpetuate
his name. Spenser adopts this version in the "Fairy Queen," —

"And all about grew every sort of flowre,
To which sad lovers were transformed of yore;
Fresh Hyacinthus, Phcebos paramoure
And dearest love."

Another account relates that the quoit flung by Phoebus rebounded
from a stone as Hyacinthus stooped to pick it up, and from the
blood which flowed from the wound sprang up the classic flower.
Thus Phoebus came to be regarded as the cause of Hyacinth's
death, and in honour of the victim the Laconians held an annual
feast, in which they exhibited their disapprobation of Phoebus, by
refraining from singing hymns in his praise. The dedication of
the Hyacinth to Phoebus is thus alluded to by Virgil, in the third
Pastoral: —

•*Me Phcebus loves; for he my muse inspires;
And in her songs, the warmth he gives, requires.
For him the prod of shepherds and their sheep,
My blushing Hyacinths and my hays I keep."

The question then arises, what was the Hyacinth of the ancients P
and here it is confounded with quite a different flower, which in
fact is no Hyacinth at all. The Hyacinth of antiquity gave the
image of curling locks, which the Oriental poets used as freely as
the Greeks; but it is also described as bearing traces of its tragio
origin, for which we look in vain in either the wild squill or the
Hyacinth of the Levant. Virgil describes it as of a bright red^
and it also bore the marks of the Greek explanation of woe —
AI AI, fitly enough as representative of its origin. Professor
Martyn went into the question minutely, and came to the con-
clusion that the Martagon or Turk's-cap lily was the "Hyacinth"
of the classic poets, for its colour is red, its petals turn over like
curling locks, and it bears some black marks which may, by
stretching the imagination a little, be taken to represent the Greek
explanation of grief. It is certain that the Hyacinth of modem
botany is not the flower to which the Greek poets gave the name
of their pet youth, which was a

'^Sanguine flower inscribed with woe,"

and hence the botanical name of the wood j&cmthe^^Sifacinihtui
nou'Scriptus,

THE HYACINTH. 53

CHAPTER II.

^'Cbtld of the spring, thou channing flower,
No longer in cozifinement lie;
Arise to light, thy form discover,
Rival the aanire of the sky.*'

Casimib*

BOTANICAL AND HISTORICAL NOTES.

The Wood Hjacintli, of whieh I have said so maoh, is not
the parent of the lovely flowers that are now coining into their
fall glory out of doors, and which in-doors have kept the windows
gay since Christmas. This most domestic of the whole race of
florists' flowers is called JEyacinthus orientate; it is closely allied
to the squills and starch grape Hyacinths of English botany, but
excels them in its adaptability to culture and improyement, and
its magnificent variety of colours.

In the Linnean system all the Hyacinths are members of the
sixth class, Sexandria, and the first order, Monogynia, having
six stamens and one pistil. In the natural system it is a member
of the order Asphodelecs, of which the asphodel is the type; but
the order is variously disposed of by modem botanists, for Lindley
sometimes combines it with lAlicwece, and Sir W. J. Hooker ex-
tends the limits of the order, so as to include from TuZipacea the
yuccdk and the aloe. Suffice it that the distinguishing botanical
marks of the Hyacinth are a tunicated bulb, in which the several
tunics may be separated from each other, as in the onion. The
leaves are lignlate, the stems hollow, the flowers in upright racemes,
regular and bell-shaped; the perianth is divided into six segments,
with one stamen to each, and the fruit is a three-celled capsule,
containing many seeds.

The florists' Hyacinth is abundant in a wild state all over the
Levant; when it first became a florists' flower, and a member of
the English household, it is now impossible to say, but it is cer-
tain that it has been known in Holland and England three hundred
years. The Dutch have long enjoyed prestige as Hyacinth growers,
and the chief trade is still in their hands; their soil suiting it to
perfection, and their patience being equal to the demands of the
flower. Besides these advantages they can undersell our growers.

54 THE HTi.CINTH.

and hence command the general market, so that onr chief supply
of this universal fayourite of the home is from Holland, whence,
during the autumn, immense quantities are exported to all parts
of the world.

Mr. Knight, who trareUed in the bulb district in 1830, saw
more than a himdred acres of Hyacinths in bloom between Ley-
den and Haarlem; and some of these bloomestries had been estab-
lished for upwards of a century. At first, only single Hyacinths
were cultiyated, but about the middle of last century attention
was paid to double flowers; and some of the earliest of these
yarieties brought the high price of one thousand florins, or one
hundred pounds, per bulb» As the art of cultivation improved,
so rose the mania to possess rare varieties, and as much as two
hundred pounds has been known to be given for a single root.
The passion for this, as well as for many of our older favourites,
has long since declined: other exotic novelties have taken their
place; and it is now rarely that we hear of more than eight or
ten pounds being given for the finest Hyacinth. The ordinary
price for good bulbs is indeed seldom beyond eight or ten shillings ;
and what are called common mixtures may be had, as imported,
for two or three pounds per hundred.

There are now about two thousand varieties of tbis charming
flower, varying in colours from the purest white to the brightest
tints of pink, rose, yellow, blue, and rich maroon and purple, all
delightfully fragrant, and at every stage of their growth so inter-
esting, that the humblest home can scarcely do without them, or
the noblest mansion find a more appropriate ornament. It has
long been a part of our domestic furniture, a true fireside favourite,
which even people who think least about flowers, generally gladly
admit and cherish as a friend.

CHAPTER III.

OUT-DOOE CULTUEE.

It is often said that the Hyacinth cannot be grown in this
country for two successive seasons with success; hence the annual

THB HYACINTH. K5

importstions of immense quantities to keep collections to their
w(mted strength, and hence also the fait^ of amateurs in newly-
imported biQbs. To a certain extent, it is true, the Dntch do
beat US, but our climate and soil are not to be blamed for
failures, but our want of skill. Empiricism has done similar
misdiief to the Hyacinth that it has done for the tulip, the
ranunculus, the anemone, and the auricula. These come to
perfection or go to ruin in exact accordance with their treatment;
and we only need to adopt a practice based on reason to preserve
the Hyaeinth for .almost any number of years. We are told by
writers, and we see the practice followed by many growers, that
the Hyadnth-bed must be made up with certain exact proportions
of leaf-moidd, sea-sand, cow-dung, night-soil, and other ingredients.
One writer has gone so far as to recommend a mixture of mag-
nesia, carbonate of soda, and other chemicals as a substitute for
sea-sand — a good mode of promoting the Dutch trade, if it did not
lead to the rejection of the Hyacinth altogether as an impossibility.

The Dutch method is very simple, and, as all the world knows,
very successful. They use a rich and free soil, with a small
udmiitare of sand, and a moderate quantity of manure but par-
tdally decayed. Our florists use very old dung, with abundance
of sand, and sometimes soot and salt, and the consequence is that
their composts readily part with moisture, and watering becomes
necessary. Now there is no one thing so injurious to ihe Hyacinth
as damp, spite of the fact that it grows so weU in water only.
Out of doors the Hyacinth is exposed to frost, and undue moisture
then is death to it; and in the latter periods while it is in the
ground the less it is watered the better.

Now, to obviate the need of watering, let the planting be
managed thus: — Dig the ground at the end of September, and
ridge it up for the atmosphere to sift through it freely. After a
week or ten days, take out the soil to the depth of a foot, and
lay down a stratum of fresh cow-dung four inches thick, or,
wanting that, half-rotted stable-dimg, the shorter the better. Old
manure, such as is used for most other flowers, is useless to so
gross a feeder as the Hyacinth, and it keeps the lower stratum
too dry and open. When the dung is laid down, replace the
soil, breaking it very flne, and mixing with it about an eighth

56 THB HYACINTH.

part of gritty river-sand, or, if that is not attainable, sea-sand
may be used, but coarse yellow pit-sand, which is so often used,
is the worst thing that can come into the vicinity of a Hyacinth.
Those who question my advice as \x} fresh cow-dung — and it may
startle some — ^are advised to try it orie season with some bulbs
on which they set little value; they will assuredly treat their
choicest stock in the same way the year following, and this
wiU come to be the orthodox way of manuring Hyacinths. It
is all they require to bloom superbly, and retain their strength
for years; but it should be remembered that, the dung should
be eight inches from the surface, as it then attracts the roots
downwards, gives the plant a stimulus just as it wants it, namely,
when near flowering, obviates the need of frequent warring, b^
keeping a cool moist bottom, and affords the strength requisite
to the production of strong offsets, and the forming of blooms for
the next year.

About the end of October is the time for planting. Plant early
and plant deep. If kept out of the ground, as they often are,
till near Christmas, the bulbs get exhausted, and have no time
to recruit themselves in the ground; and if planted too near the
surface, they are stimulated by every glimpse of warm sun,
and then nipped by every succeeding frost. They ought to
work freely underneath, and get good root before they show
above ground. In planting, let the whole of the surface be
removed to a depth of four inches; rake it level, and place the
roots eight inches apart, mixing the colours judiciously. It is a
common and slovenly practice to dibble them in; this causes a
hard incrustation around the bulbs, and frequently leaves a
cavity directly under them. In this cavity the water collects, and
opens the way for the entrance of frost, and the bulbs rot, or,
if they fight through it, they bloom miserably. They do better
on a level bed, if the drainage is otherwise pretty good; but as
a convex has the neatest appearance, the bed may be dressed up
towards the centre, but the cultivator must have an eye to the
outside rows, that the water does not collect and stagnate about
them. Many growers spread over the bed an inch of old hot-bed
dung in December, to keep out frost, but loose litter is better,
and it should be removed as soon as the weather will permit; but

THB HYACINTH. 67

this is a matter that most be regulated by judgment according to
<nTciunBtance8. Hoops and matting may also be used against
frost, but with such an amount of caution that the foUage when
it appears, does not get drawn through exclusion of light, for
the Hyacinth is yery hardy, and does not ask to be pampered.

When they bloom, they must be kept neatly tied up, and
the surface of the bed weeded; and after the bloom is over, the
flower-stalks should be cut close oyer the crown, and the foliage
left imcut till it begins to decay. When it parts readily from
the root, the bulbs may be safely taken up. This must be done
on a dry day, and as fast as the bulbs come out they must be
laid sideways on a piece of level ground, so that they do not
touch each other, and then covered with about six inches of dry
sandy mould. It is very common to see fine collections forked
up rudely, and scattered about in the glaring sun/^and then left
for a week or so "to ripen." They do ripen with a vengeance,
but it is the ripeness of premature age, and after the scorching
their strength may be considered as having evaporated.

The Hyacinth is subject to a disease which does not show
itself until it has been some time out of the groimd. If a single
tainted bulb is mixed with a collection, or even touches other
healthy bulbs, ten to one but it infects them all. This is the
prime reason for keeping them apart from each other when they
are taken up; and by spreading them out under a layer of mould,
we "prove them" at the same time that we dry them off gradually,
and fit them for storing away. At the end of a fortnight any
that are touched with disease will begin to show symptoms of
rottenness. Every one of these may be burnt, or consigned to
the muck-hole, and the soimd bulbs must be laid (separately
again) on shelves in a shady place for a final drying. When
thoroughly dry, cut off the rootlets, clean the bulbs, and store
them in a dry place after any fashion that may suit your con-
venience, remembering that heat and moisture, when they are
out of the ground, are their greatest of enemies. Of course every
sort should be correctly taUied, with a view to correct planting.

On this method of culture frequent renewal of stock will be
found quite unnecessary, I believe I am right in saying that
Mr. Lockhart has practised such a method, using fresh dung for

58 YBM HTACISTH.

both the Hjacmth and the runmGuhis; and the only notable
p(»nt to be attended to is to place it deep enough, so that the
rootlets shall not reach it till the whole plant has made some
growth, and is then in need and capable of assimilating an
abondance of noonshment. During Tery bright hot weather at
the time of blooming, a calico shading will tend to preserve the
colours, and retain them in bloom for a longer period; but when
used in garden decoratian, such a protection becomes unsightly,
and the displi^ of ookur is lost to the scene, though a few
hours shade at mid-day is all that is needed, indeed continuous
shading is injurious.

•

o

•

•

Q

o

o

o

o

o

•

Q

o

•

o

•

o

%

o

«

m

Q

9

o

c

•

Q

•

•

o

•

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«

There are many ways of arranging Hyacinths for effect. The
plan here figured is one in which the bulbs are grouped into a
series of hexagons; and, excepting the outside rows, the whole
are at equal distances. The bed is four feet wide, and of any
length that may be necessary. The six rows across it are eight
inches asunder, and the two outside rows are each four inches
from the sides of the bed. As to colours, Hyacinths may very
well be classed, as red, white, and blue; except a few yellow sorts,
which may be classed with the whites. In the diagram the blues
are marked by a darker tinting.

THB HYACINTH.

59

CHAPTER IV.

CULTURE IN GLASSES AND POTS.

There is nothing in the whole range of domestic floriculture
so thoroughly domestic as a good show of Hyacinths in glasses,
and there is no difficulty in obtaining a succession of them from
Christmas to May. For ordinary purposes the bulbs should be

I

kt

jf^S^

placed in the glasses during the first week in Kovember, and
the root should barely touch the water. They should then bo
placed in a dark closet for a fortnight, then the water shoidd be
changed, and the bulbs exposed to the light, unless any appear
weak at the root, in which case they may, if the foliage is not
blanched, be kept in the dark for a week longer. After they are
once started, the water must be changed twice a week; rain-water
should be used if possible, and it should be at a temperature of
about 60°; a minute pinch of salt or nitre may be added to each
glass when filled, to give strength to the plants; a pinch of guano.

60 THE HYACINTH.

or superpHospIiate of lime, or a drop of spirits of hartshorn may
also be nsed for the same purpose, but in minute quantities, or
it may do more harm than good. Offsets should not be allowed
to push, or the main flower-stem will be weakened. Dark-coloured
glasses most readily promote the growth of the roots, though when
the roots have once made a good start they do very well in white
glass. There are many kinds of Hyacinth glasses, all of them
elegant, but the best is that known as Tye's Registered Hyacinth
Bottle, made by Mr. Tye, of 107, Great Charles Street, Birmin-
gham. Mr. Tye is also the maker of a very neat tally for naming
Hyacinths, which will be found very useful to those who grow
this flower.

I might now pass on to other matters, but as I abhor the
cut-and-dried method of treating a subject, I shall occupy a
little more space with specific instructions, with a view to enable
my readers to grow Hyacinths to perfection in-doors; and first
as to their culture in pots. Choose hard and well-matured bulbs;
begin early, say in October for the earlier sorts, and arrange your
sorts, so that you can have a variety in every successional batch;
and each of these batches must be so managed as to follow each
other till the end of the season. The soil for pots must be rich
sandy loam; there is no necessity for any elaborately-prepared
compost. A mixture of half road-sand and half leaf-mould is
good, so is one of a third leaf-mould, a third of rotten dung,
and a third of maiden loam. For the general stock use upright
thirty-twos, and for the latest batch, on which a few words will
be said presently, large forty-eights. The Hyacinth makes a
deep root; hence if pots an extra inch deep can be had they
will answer better. Put an oyster shell over the hole in each
pot, fill with soil, and press the bulb firmly into the soil, with
the crown above the brim of the pot, the bulb being covered
to half its depth. They must not be plunged, because the soil
would be too damp for them; it would be better to find a spot
out-of-doors a little elevated, and there to place them, and then
cover, not with coal- ashes, because that material causes canker of
the flower-buds, but with fine dry mould, raised over the crown
of each bulb into the form of a cone. To prevent the attacks
of slugs, they may stand on coal-ashes, but not under them.

THE HTACIKTH. 61

Potted Hyacinihs are often placed on the shelves of the greenhouse,
but there they generally suffer from alternations of temperature;
but out-of-doors they get a gentle and steady bottom-heat from
the earth, which promotes the growth of the roots. The first
earthing over should be only three inches deep; but as the
weather gets colder the covering may be increased, till it is from
six to twelve inches thick. If a severe frost should occur, a
little Utter may be placed over that, but as a rule eight inches
is as much covering as they need. Heavy rains or snow may
be kept off with boards or thatched hurdles, and in the course
of about six weeks every good bulb so treated will have formed
a good matting of roots, and the flower-stems will be just pushing.
Then you may begin forcing; but if there is not first a good
root, artificial heat only tends to ruin them. Those to be flowered
first may be removed to a house in which the temperature is
pretty steady, at from 55° to 65°. They are immensely fond of
bottom-heat, and as they get forward will do well in a temperature
of from 70° to 80°, with abundance of light, say no less than four
inches from the glass; but they are not to be exposed either to
heat or light suddenly. If in a cucumber-frame or greenhouse,
merely place them in the bed at first, and shade the young leaves
from sunshine till they get a hearty green tinge, then plunge
them and give plenty of light, but with precautions against any
sudden chill from night frosts. When fully expanded they may
finish ofl* their bloom at a temperature of 60° in the greenhouse,
the window, or elsewhere; and all through their progress they
must be kept moderately moist, but never wet, the water to be
soft and warm, a degree or two higher than the air they are in.
Long before they bloom you will have to note how the flower-
stem pushes, for it is a common defect of even good Hyacinths,
and especially those first forced, to come dumpy, the bloom close
to the crown, so that the leaves overtop the blossom, as if the
latter were ashamed of itself. This is easily prevented, though
some plants refuse improvement. Make a number of funnels of
stout brown paper, or even common newspaper, each funnel to
be from six to nine 'inches long, and sufficiently wide to include
the bulb and a portion of the soil, or, if in glasses, to fit outside
the upper rim of the glass. The funnels are to be shaped like

62 THB HYACINTH.

those in which grocers put sugar, but instead of the narrow
end being brought to a point, it must be left open to the extent
of half-an-inoh or so. If made grocer-fashion, they may be pasted
up, and when dry cut at each end to fit neatly, and admit light
only at the top. This will seldom fail to coax the flower-stem
upwards. As soon as the flower-stem is long enough, remove
the fimnel. For the early forced flowers this plan is essential
to the perfect development of the flower.

To obtain a good bloom about the end of the forcing season,
the procedure must be varied a little. There are not many
exhibitors of Hyacinths at the early shows, though most shows
ofler prizes for them, and one reason is that routine stands in
the way of successful exhibition at the time the early shows
take place.

If potted in thirty-twos, and left out-of-doors till the end of
January, they will be pretty sure to have protruded their roots
through the bottoms of the pots, and if tdiey stand on coal-ashes
every fibre that touches them will be injured; if they stand on
the soil then they may root into it, and to move them must do
them serious harm, for it is the spongiole at the extremity of
the fibre that feeds the plant. Besides this, as soon as the roots
meet with obstruction, they are apt to lift the bulb, and tilt it
on one side, and hence they look unsightly, as well as being
injured. To carry them to the forcing-house in this state would
make matters worse, for a Httle bottom-heat *wo;ild destroy every
fibre so protruded; therefore for late forcing it is advisable to
re-pot every plaut, and, with that object in view, it will be found
a good practice to pot them first in large forty-eights, and as
soon as the roots reach the bottoms of these to shift them into
tibirty-twos, carefully keeping the ball whole, and filling up with
the same compost as that used at first. A fortnight after the
shift, they may be put into heat, and the stimulus given to the
roots by the addition of firesh soil will greatly promote a fine
development of bloom.

There are other pretty ways of growing Hyacinths for the
window, and among them the use of moss is very effective. If
the ooUection consists of good-named sorts, it is best to number
eadi, and make out a corresponding list for reference afterwards.

THB EYACIlfTB. 68

About the 2CMh. of October, procnre a qnantit; of green men,
aep«rate it with the hands, and take pota of three aizea, large
fbitj-eighta, la:^e thirty-twos, and flat twenty-fours. Place an
oyster shell over the hole in each pot, and fill with the broken
moss, piling it up above each pot in a heap. In the forty-eighta
place one bolb in the centre, carefully pressing it in; mb a little
white paint on the side of the pot, and mark the number
aooording to iba list, and one letter for the oolonr, as B for red,
etc. In the thirty-twos place three bolbs at equal distances, and

of ttuee distinct coloors, say red, white, and blue; and in the
twenty-fonrs four or five bolbs, and, if five, let the centre one
be placed a littlo above the rest, and it should be the strongest
and most showy of the five. A fine double white makes a good
centre for mixed colours round it, or a row of white with a dark
blue centre; but, if the stock is large, many plans oF contrasting
or blending the colours may be adopted. The pots containing
more than one bulb must be marked next each, as described for
those containing one, and for the centre an extra mark may
be made, uid a cross attached to distinguish it. A good

64 THB HTACINTH.

watoring concludes the (^eraiion, and a cold frame is the beat

place for tiiem, ynth & corering of old ton, for six or eight
weeka, and they can tlieii be forced ae re<iaired for the drawing-

THB HYACINTH. 65

room, and in the manner already described. Gold fresh-drawn
water should neyer be used, whether they are in pots or glasses;
it shoidd be drawn over-night, and the vessel placed in the
house till the morning, to warm and soften; or, if that should
be neglected, a little hot water may be added to bring it to
such a temperature that it does not feel cold to the hand.
ILain-water is always best. If the water is hard, a minute
pinch of soda, first dissolved in hot water, should be added to
it.

When the plants are in flower, they may be disposed of in
various ways to look ornamental. ' They may either be turned
out by a gentle tap on the pot, and placed in baskets or vases,
or the pots may be dropped into the baskets and concealed with
green moss; and if the ornaments are tasteful and appropriate,
tiiis is one of the prettiest ways of adorning the drawing-room
or the conservatory from Christmas to May. Twice a week
lliese baskets should be placed on a large tray, and watered
overhead with a very fine rose, to preserve their health and
beauty, and renew their delicious odour. The subjoined engraving
represents a rustic Hyacinth basket suited for the exhibition of a
collection in moss or mould.

They may even be taken out of the pots, the moss picked
ofi* the roots, a thread passed tenderly round the roots, and
then slipped into glasses. In common glasses they do well, if
packed up to the neck in moss, leaving the upper part of the
bulb uncovered: this promotes firee rooting, without which no
Hyacinth will bloom well. Hyacinths grown in glasses or moss
should be very carefully dried. When the flowers fade, plant
them in light sandy soil in pots, taking care not to bruise a
single fibre; set them out in the open ground for a week or
two, sheltered firom excessive sun, till they are a little recovered,
then expose them fully; after a fortnight, lay the pots on their
sides till the leaves wither, and then dry them as described in
Chapter IH. They may also be planted in a north border, with
plenty of clean sharp sand round the bulbs, plentifully watered,
and so left to mature. They will not bloom the following season,
but will have recovered by the second year.

66 THE HTACINTH.

CHAPTER V.

PROPAGATION, IMPBOVEMENT, AND PBOPEBTIES.

As a florists' flower the Hyacinth stands high; and although
it does not make such a feature at the early shows as it should
do, nevertheless, a season never passes without gladdening the floral
eye with at least a few good things. The Hyacinth propagates
freely, either from oflsets or seeds, the latter, as a matter of
course, being the mode of raising new varieties. The o£r8et8
are to be detached from the parent bulbs after the latter are
thoroughly dried, and are to be planted separately until they
flower, when they may be added to the general stock. They
usually flower the third year after separation.

In saving seed, that from the best-formed flowers should be
chosen; the semi-doubles and the best of the singles are the best
for seeding. Out it ofl* when perfectly ripe, with the stem
attached, and so keep it till the time of sowing, which may be
either the end of October or the last week in February. Sow
in deep boxes in common friable garden mould, with about a
third part of sharp sand. Sow moderately thick, and cover with
half-an-inch of flne soil. Keep dear of weeds, water moderately,
and protect from frost and exhausting sun with north-east winds
during March, and leave the rest to Nature. The second winter
they require careful protection, for the little bulbs are then near
the surface, but otherwise they need little protection till the
spring of the third year, when they must have a top-dressing of
rotted cow-dung; and when the foliage decays in July, they must
be taken up and stored away in the same manner as the large
bulbs. During the two following seasons the strongest bulbs wiU.
flower. The best must be marked, and named or numbered
provisionally; and in the next season those worth it may have
definite names, but all that fall short of the requirements of the
standard, should either be got rid of or added to the mixed
collection for use in clumps on the borders. Many, of course^
will be worthless, and some, perhaps, worthy of a place in

THB HYACINTH. 67

history. Beautiful hybrids frequently occur without the inter-
vention of the florist, the work, doubtless, of the bee, who makes
and unniakes many a choice thing in the flower world.

The properties of a flrst-class Hyacinth are a strong and erect
stem, of not less than eight inches. The foot-stalk of each separate
flower should be short and strong, standing out in a horizontal
position, the crown or centre flower being perfectly upright, and
the whole spike forming a graceful pyramid. Each flower should
be large, should expand freely, the petals thick, fleshy, and broad;
and doable flowers should fill well up in the eye, the colour in
every case bright and distinct. When the eye is of a colour
different to the petals, the eflect is very beautiful.

The criterion of a fine double Hyacinth, according to the
''Botanical Magazine," is as follows: —

The stem should be strong, tall, and erect, supporting numerous
large bells, each suspended by a short and strong peduncle, or
foot-stalk, in a horizontal position, so that the whole may have
a compact pyramidal form, with the crown or uppermost part
perfectly erect. The flowers should be large, and perfectly double,
that is, well filled with broad bold petals, appearing to the eye
rather convex than flat or hollow; they should occupy about one
half the stem. The colours should be clear and bright, whether
plain red, white, or blue, or variously intermixed and diversified
in the eye; the latter, it must be confessed, gives additional lustre
and elegance to this beautiful flower. Strong bright colours are
in general preferred to such as are pale.

68

THE HYACINTH.

CHAPTER VI.

SELECTION OF 80BTS.

In selectmg stock, the best effects are to be attained by choosing
those sorts which are most distinct in colour, and as many of the
single flowers are desirable, they should constitute at least one-
third of the whole. Pairs of the same kind look well when grown
together; and when grown in pots or glasses it is important to
have each series in bloom at one time; hence early and late sorts
must be carefully kept apart, and so managed as to bloom at the
season they are intended for. The first section in the annexed
list comprises twelve superb early Hyacinths: they may be con-
sidered the very best for early flowering. The whole are from
the stock of the Messrs. Cutbush, of Highgate, London.

TWELVE FIRST-CLASS EARLY HYACINTHS.

Prince Albert, bhck,

Lawrence Coster, very dark blue.

Baron Von Thuyll, Jine blue,

Charles Dickens, lilac blue,

Orondates, large, light blue.

Prince Frederick, double, light blue,

Hannah More, white, tingle, very large.

Prmce of Waterloo, double, blush wht.
Tour d'Auvergne, double, white,
Waterloo, double, scarlet, an old but

fine sort,
Duke of Wellington, single, peach,

very beautiful.

THB RTACINTH.

69

GENERAL COLLECTION OF FIRST-CLASS

VARIETIES.

Those marked thus o are suitable for pots, baskets, and glasses. All are snitaUe
for the open borders.

DOUBLE BED.

Alida Catharina, Jine red,
o Baron van Pallandt, criouim,

Betsy, very Jine,
o Bouquet Boyal, rose, pink border,

Cochenille, vermiSon,

Gomtesse de la Goste, pink, dark eye,
o Dan O'Connel, fine red,
oDuke of Wellington, delicate rose,

Eendragt, deq) red,
oFlos Sanguineus, deep rose,
o Goethe, dark rose,
o GrootYorst, p€de rose,

Josina Maria, deq) red,

Josephine, rose, dark eye, splendid,

L'Honneur d'Amsterdam, bright
rose.
o Milton, very deep red,

Moore, beautiftd red,
o Panorama, rosy crimson.
opemique Royale, pale rose,
o Professor Lindley, red, fine,

Racine, crimson.

Rouge Eclatante, crimson,
o Rouge Pourpre et Noir.
o Sans Souci, fine red,
o Sbakspere, extra fine,
o Sir Walter Scott, beautifully striped,
o Tamerlane, ^ne rose,

DOUBLE BLUB.

oAlamode, purple eye,

Albion, extra fine, dark,
o Blocksberg, fine light blue.

Bouquet Pourpre, indigo, green tips,
o Gomte de St. Priest, bright.

oGooper, beauH/ul blue, new,
o Envoys, light, purple eye.

Helicon, dark porcelain,

Keizer Alexander, dark purple.
oKroon van Indien, dark,

L'Abb^ de Verac, fine, shaded,
oLa Gharmante, dark.

La ^jiomm4e, purple,

L'Importante, dark blue.
oLord Wellington, darA eye,

Madame Marmont, marbled,
o Martinet, dark,
oMignon de Dryfhout, light.
oMorillo, splendid,

Noir Veritable, black,
o Parel Boot, light porcelain,

Pasquin, dark eye,
oPassetout, shaded,

Pourpre Superbe, dark purple,
o Prince of Saxe Weimar, bright,
oRudoIphus, Ught,

Sir Joseph Paxton, new and fine,

DOUBLE PURE WHITE.

o Alamode, pink eye,

o Anna Maria, purple eye,

Cceur Noir, black eye,
o Diana Van Ephesen, proliferous,
oDon Gratuit.
o Gloria Florum, french white,

Gloria Florum Suprema, &eaufa/^/.

Grand Monarque de France, violet
eye.

Grandeur k Merveille, blush white,
novel.

Heroine, silvery white.

70

THB BTICIKTH.

Imp^ratrlce Rom^ne, pin* tye.
o La Ch^rle, bhit ege.
oLa D£mk.

La Veswle.
Minerva, purple tye.
oMIsa Elttj, viidet eye.

Pyrene, grttn lipi.

Sceptre d'Or, ydloa eye.
oSpbiETa Mundl, U>u eyt.

States -Gcnoral, brown eyt.

Sultan AchiDBt.
o Triumph Blandlna, red tye.
oVIrgltiie, /rewA ahite.
a Vii^o, pin* ey-

DOnBLB YEtLOW.

o Bouquet d'Orange, nonA«n.
Heroine, bright citron.

La Grandeur, citron, fine egc
o Loula d'Or, dark ydhnc.
Ophlr, fitu, ytUow.

iinOLS RED.
Araphioo, jiM eye.
oAppeliug, crimion.
oArgua,roM.
Cliarlolto Marianne, red.
Circo, new and elegant.
Biehitz Sabalkanskj, dark.
o Fireball, deep red.
ojobanna ChrUdna, bright row,
o L Ami du Cteur, dark red.

L'Eclitlr, irighl crirnxm.
o L'Unique, viola, extra.
La Dame du Lac, nm.
La Pu&elle, dtUcale rote.
La 'Victolre, ji«e. dark.
Le FraTicq lio Berlthey, crimton
Hars, greeK tip*.
M1b8 Alnsworth, extra fine, nm
o HoDHiear de Fiesch, jSn* red.
o Norma, rote,
a PalK d'AmienB, piai.
oPrinceBi Alexandrina, erimion.
oPrOipero Alplno, bright red.

Temple d'ApoUon, pale rou.

> Abd-el-Kader, wry dark.

sAnna Boli:na, dark.

oEmicans, indigo, Sght eye.

D Emilias, porcelain.

D Grand Vldette, pearl Uite, extra.

o L'Ami du fkeur, dark.

Le Plus Noir, eery dark.
oLo Vrai Noir, black.
oLord Nolaon, /ne,
o Nlmrod, porcelain.

Otliello, black.
Piince Alltcrt, fine, dark pvr^e.
o Prince of Walex, fiat, gloety.

Robinson, U^t btve.

Suites -(ieneral, indi^.

oAnna CLristina, ^iendid.

Grand Vairiquenr, tplendid.
o Grand Vldette.
oIlt!i-i;lllc», roty tehilt.

La Candeur.
o Lb Monarque.
oLilii, gplendid.
oMadmnode TaUyraiid.
Mary Stuart, /irjt-rote.

Mont Blane, (rae.
Norma, bbuh •ehitt, very fine.

o Prince de Galatzin.

Queen Mctoria, tpltndid.

a Rosaeau, pin* thade.

Tubiflora, large belli, extra.

Voll^ie, iMi-fi*e.

oAHda Jaeoba.

D Catharina.

La Heroine, citron, green tipi.

oOlga Mitzkl.

o Roi de Pays Baa, buff orange.

Victor Hugo, pure cUron.

\

i

EXHIBITION FLOWERS.

THE

CALCEOLARIA;

ITS

HISTORY, PROPERTIES, CULTIVATION,
PROPAGATION, AND GENERAL MANAGEMENT

IN ALL SEASONS.

BY SHIRLEY HIBBERD,

Author of "Rustic Adornments for Homes of Taste," etc

**The varied colours run, and while they break
On the charm'd eye, the exulting florist marks
With secret pride the wonder of his hand.

• • • •

Infinite numbers, delicacies, smells.
With hues on hues expression cannot paint.
The breath of nature, and her endless bloom."

LONDON:

GROOMBBIDGE AND SONS, PATERNOSTEE EOW.

M DCCC LVII.

THE CALCEOLAEIA,

CHAPTEE I.

BOTANICAL AND HISTORICAL NOTES.

Since the "bedding" system has grown popular in this country,
Floriculture has undergone many changes. There is less enthu-
siasm as to the production of individual flowers; what is known
as the "fancy" has somewhat given way, and florists are beginning
to give more heed to the uses of flowers in the production of
combined effects, so that the patience they were wont to bestow
in the nursing of a few special pets is now lavished on the arrange-
ment of coloured groups, and to plant a series of geometric beds
has come to rank equally high with the raising of a stage of
show-flowers. By this we do not mean to imply that exhibitions
or Exhibition Flowers are on the wane; indeed they never were
so popular, for if Florimania is a little out of date, it is only
because a higher appreciation of the moral uses and loveliness
of flowers has given a wholesome tone to the pursuit; at the
same time the art of grouping, of contrasting, of blending, and
mixing to produce many varied effects, and yet combine all the
several features into a complete scene, has been so zealously cul-
tivated as to have interfered somewhat with the passion for fancy
flowers. In consequence of this, plants that suit for bedding
purposes are every year grown more and more extensively, their
merits ascertained, the various effects of which they are capable
determined, and the whole scheme of geometric gardening brought
to such a perfection as to constitute a distinct department of
Floriculture, scenic display being rather the aim than perfection
of individual flowers.

72 THE CALCKOtiBIA.

It 80 happens that the majority of flowers grown for exhibition
have characteristics Tery distinct from those used for bedding;
in the one case we look to the properties, and consider to what
perfection of development aingle specimena have been brought; in
the other we core httle for properties, and only enquire what
is the efiect of a mass when planted, how they contrast with
others, how they help by the contribution of distinct colonra
towards the formation of a picture; permanence and abundance
of bloom, coroparative hardiness, low, bushy, and spreading growth
being the qualities moat anxiously sought, while the points that
make an Exhibition Flower are in a great measure overlooked
or forgotten.

Among the many things that claim attention equally from the

exhibitor and the landscapist, the Calceolaria stands in the foremoet
rank. As a bedder it contribates the most vivid hues to a scheme
of colours, and as an Exhibition Flower it holds high rank. The
summer shows would be tame without it; and though it has no
history, and few features of botanical interest, it is nevertheless
one of the most renowned of florista" flowers.

In the natural system the Calceolaria ia a member of the order
SchropMilarinea, of which the foxglove is the type; and between
the two flowers the resemblance is pretty close. In the foxglove

THE CUCKOLABU. 73

the eorolU is tubular, with s short limb and t> tpreading calyx,
bat in the CalceoUria the loiver lip ia cnrioiulf inflated, and it
IB ia tlie derelopmeat of this inflated lip that a higb-clsu flower
haB ita chief characteristic. Aeaociated with the Calceolaria in
this order are many favooritea of the garden and greenhoose —
pentstemoQ, veronica, buddlea, paulowina, maurandya, mimulos,
slonsoa, and Collimria, as well as iome choice wildings, uot the
least among the number being the lovely toad-flas, (Linaria
alpina,) the neatest model of a snap-dragon to be found in the
vegetable kingdom.

In the Linneu) systom the Calceolaria is ranged in the second
class Driandria, and the first order Moaogynia.

The Calceolaria is a native of high altitudes on the mountains
of Peru and Chili. The first species seen in Europe was intro-
duced in 1773; it was C. pinnata, a greenhouse annual. The
next, C. Fotkergillii, was introduced in 1777, from which date
no other apecies made their appearance till 1822, when no less
than four new species, two of them under-ahrubs, enriched our
collections. As aoon as hybrids of these were obtained, they
became special favooritea, winning popularity as much by their
curious form ae by their elegant habits and lovely colours.

There are many distinct speciea of Calceolaria known in efA-
lections, and the characteristics of some are very distinct. C,

74 THB CALCEOLABIA.

alba and C. jtoribvatda were introduced from Chili by Mr. Lobb,

in 1842; C. violaeea, of a pale purple, and C. Sinclarii, the New
Zealand Hpecies, have been but lately introduced; C. ericoides,
the Heath-like Calceolaria, is a wiry, woody ahrub, partly upright,
partly procumbent, and studded with hirsute bloBBoms of a bright

yellow; but those iu most request by florists are the varieties of
the shrubby J^uticoia, and the many gay descendante of corymhoaa
and aracknoides, of which the typical form has long been lost iu
the many hybridizinga the flon'ere have undergone.

THE CALCBOLABIA.. 75

CHAPTEE II.

HABIT, VABIETIBS, AND GENEBAL CULTIVATIOW.

Thb Calceolaria is in its native site strictly an alpine plant,
and in constitation very closely resembles the auricula. Though
it comes from a very sunny latitude, yet as it haunts elevated
plateaus and grassy nooks on mountain sides, it can bear a con-
fliderably low temperature, and is, in fact, very nearly hardy
under coltivatLon. Florists know well enough that however much
alpines may be exposed to sunlight in their natural habitats, they
invariably require coolness and moisture when brought under cul-
tivation; and that need not surprise us when we reflect that such
flowers are usually found in clefts and hollows, where grasses and
mosses make green cushions for them, and the drift of storms
prepares them a friable and fertile soil, while the snows above
send down cool streams all the summer long to bathe their feet
^th moisture.

Kow the whole code of Calceolaria-culture may be deduced

^m the recorded natural habits of the plants. Dryness, heat,

a close atmosphere, and "coddling** in any way are death to it.

^reen fly, thrip, red spider, and constitutional debility make

friends with the Calceolaria whenever it is denied fresh air, a

cool, moist soil, and abundance of light. Pot plants, therefore,

whether shrubby or herbaceous, are not to be so exposed to the

son as to get their roots heated; nor must they ever flag for want

of moisture— even in their young state damp is less injurious than

drought; and, above all things such a degree of hardiness as they

do possess is to be encouraged, and this even in winter, so long

as they do not get positively frost-bitten.

Calceolarias may be readily divided into three divisions, two of
which are striking and distinct; the third is a recent blending of
the other two. Herbaceous Calceolarias are most strictly florists*
flowers; they are more tender than the shrubby kinds, less easily
propagated and preserved, and belong to the greenhouse and the
exhibition stage rather than to the garden. Their large blooms

76 THB CALCXOLAJtIA.

are produced on long foot-stalks, and usually have more cliaracter
as regards floral development than the flowers of the shrubby sorts.
Unlike the latter, they do not bloom continuously, but in a series
of separate efforts; whereas when once the shrubby kinds begin,
they keep gay for the rest of the season, their flowers being
smaller and less perfect individually, but more profuse, coming
from all parts of the plant, while the habit of the shrubby kinds
is closer, more bushy and compact; and hence for bedding they
necessarily take precedence.

' The third kind is the result of suec^eful crossing of the other
two; they are semi-herbaceous, combining the more hardy habit
of the shrubby kinds with the large spotted or self-coloured
flowers of the tender kinds. These latter are in much request,
for the strictly herbaceous kinds are so apt to die off the first
or second year after being raised, that growers become weary of
purchasing them; and to obtain their fine flowers on woody-
stemmed plants, having the habit of continuous blooming and
easy propagation, was a triumph of no small import. We have
yet to learn how &r this crossing will affect the selection for
bedding; the true shrubby kinds, having for the moat part
vividly-coloured flowers and strong constitutions, keep the lead
that way, while the new intermediates are much esteemed for
pot-cultnre.

The soil for Calceolarias should be a compost of four parts
yellow loam, one part leaf mould, one part very much decayed
cow-dung, and one part sharp sand. In the earlier stages of growth
more sand and less dung may be used.

The comparative hardiness of the Calceolaria must never be
forgotten. Though it takes a gentle heat kindly, and especially
in propagating, its strength can only be promoted by a fair
exposure at all seasons of the year, except during severe frost.
The shrubby bedding kind winter well in cold pits, or in the
coolest part of a greenhouse; and where there is neither of such
contrivances, a simple board on hinges in a sheltered comer, to
keep off storms and intense sunlight, with a bed of coal-ashes
beneath, will carry them safely through all the four seasons, except
when severe frosts prevail. It is by such a plan that many of
the Lancashire growers preserve their fine pansies, Calceolarias,

THB CALOBOLAKIl.

fbcbiu, and other Deoriy h&rdy plants, and the sketch below
«u nude not long siuoe in the garden of one who has tokeu

mwy t prize.

CHAPTER III.

AKD PEOPAOATING BY SEED,

SirpFOBiNa the seed be well saved, it ia always more remu-
nerative to raise seedlings of all choice greenhouse plants than
to purchase aamed sorts. To be sure there is something very
attractive in the formation of a collection of named flowers that
oome from the htuids of the first growers in the country, and
about which we have heard so much that we almost look upon
them as historical person^es; still, with good seed we may in a
single season obtain more diversity, and ofl^n plants of very hi^
character, than by the beat selection from noted catBlogues or

78 THE GALCEOLABIA..

successM stands at exhibitions. Of course it needs care and
patience; so it does to preserve named sorts when we have paid
for them; and it also needs courage to get rid of all bad or mid-
dling flowers, of which there are always plenty, let the cultivator
be ever so skilfuL

In saving seed, let the best plants be chosen, and if hybrids
are wanted, select a well-formed flower for the mother, and use
the pollen of a bright-coloured self or well-spotted one for the
father, and when the seed is ripe, if the mother is a herbaceous
plant, consign it to the rubbish-heap, but shrubby sorts are worth
keeping. Most of the semi-shrubby sorts have been raised by
impregnating shrubby kinds with the pollen of herbaceous plants,
both the parents being well selected; but there is no rule in
such matters, and fine new sorts frequently come from seed
which has been left to ripen in its own way without any
artificial crossing at all.

In hybridizing, select half a dozen of the best-formed flowers
on the chosen plant, and before they shed their pollen, cut away
the stamens; then take the stamens of the highly-coloured flower
just as they are ready to shed their pollen, and impregnate the
pistil of the other. As fast as the father plant gives fresh flowers,
continue to dust the mother blooms with pollen till they show
that they are setting for seed. You will thus make sure of the
absorption of the pollen. If dusted once only, the best moment
may not be chosen, and the result may be disappointment. The
mother flower must be carefully protected firom flies and bees
until the blooms have set for seed; and when the impregnation is
effected, it will be well to remove all other blossoms, to throw
the vigour of the plant into the ripening of the pods that have
been operated on. The rule is, orm for the mother, colour for
the father.

It may seem a loose way of treating the subject, but it is
really true that you may sow when you like, grow them in any-
way you please, and bring them into bloom at almost any season,
if you have the aid of a greenhouse, and observe these principles
of culture which arise out of the habits of the plants.

Suppose you begin in March. Sow in pans; when the plants
are up and strong, prick them out round the edges of pots an

THB CALCEOLABIA. 79

inck and a half apart. £eep the snrface always moist, and as
soon as they touch each other, pot them singly in three-inch
pots, with loam, peat, a little sand, and well-rotted dung, and
as soon as they fill the pots, shift into fonr-inch ones, and
then hring them into hloom. They may be made finer still by
another shift into six-inch pots, and it may be necessary to
pinch ont the trusses as they show, to increase the size of the
plants; and when their roots fill the pots again, they may be
allowed to bloom, and, if carefully tended all through, will not
need tying up, which, in nine cases out of ten, is an act that
testifies of careless culture. During the hot season when they
blossom, they must have an abundance of water, liquid manure
ocjcasionally, and, if placed anywhere so that the sun beats on
the pot, let them be plunged inside larger pots, and the space
between the two pots filled in with moss kept constantly moist.

CHAPTEE IV.

CULTUEE FOE EXHIBITION.

To grow them for exhibition, it is best to sow any time in
August, but it is quite possible to bloom fine plants in twelve-
inch x)ots in May, by sowing as late as the first week in September.
At this time of year it is best to sow them out of doors, and the
procedure is as follows: — Select a shady spot, strew it with salt,
and cover it with a layer of coal-ashes; then mark spaces for
handlights, and lay another three inches of coal-ashes where the
lights will stand, and another sprinkling of salt within and without
the coal-ashes. This plan will give a quietus to worms and slugs.
Then take some seed-pans or six-inch pots, half fill with drainage,
on the drainage place a few lumps of tough peat or moss, and
then fill up with a fine compost of leaf-mould, loam, and sand;
water well, and leave them to settle; the next day sprinkle on
the soil some dry mould very fine, press smooth, and sow the
seeds thinly, giving them a covering of sand; put a square of
glass over each pot, and then cover with the handlights.

If properly managed, the pots will not require watering till

80 THB CALCBOLASIA.

the fteedlings are up, but if they do, dew them by dipping a
hard-brush in water, and then drawing the hand across it, so as
to scatter a fine spray without washing up the seeds. As the
plants show, tilt up the squares of glass by degrees, and at last
take them away, and give air by degrees by tilting the hand-
light. At this stage there is a liability to damping, and to prevent
that, lift the plants tenderly in little patches, and prick these out
into shallow pans, and treat as you would cuttings for a few days,
watering by means of a brush, or surfacing the soil by pouring
the water on a piece of tile held close to the pot. Watering
overhead is a bad practice with young seedlings. In about three
weeks, prick out again separately, an inch or so apart, and then
note which take the lead; but it will be worthy of notice that
the backward plants are likely to turn out the best.

The next shift will be to three-inch pots, though some of the
forward plants may have four-inch, to be shifted again about
the middle of October into five-inch for blooming in May. The
weak ones may be pricked out once more, giving them clear three
inches every way. After this shift, prepare them for wintering;
a cool frame does well for them, indeed they may be raised under
frames instead of hand-lights. All they need is to be kept moist
and secure from frost, say in a temperature for herbaceous kinds
of from 38° to 46°. The shrubby sorts will bear exposure even
to 32°, if kept hardy by a good circulation of air previously and
during every intermission of frost; and though all are fond of
moisture, it must not stagnate much about them when wintered
at a low temperature. If in a greenhouse, give them plenty of
air, and guard against close heat and dryness. Plunging in moss
is always a safe plan for Calceolarias in a greenhouse. If any are
wanted early, they may be hurried into bloom at a temperature
of from 60° to 60°, if kept plunged and well supplied with air.

After the winter frosts are over, they make a rapid start, and
to keep pace with their growth, shift them as they fill their
pots; and if large specimens are required, pinch off any flower-
stems liiat appear, and give them another potting. In this way
the shrubby sorts will fill twelve-inch pots by the end of May,
and bloom superbly at the end of June or the beginning of July.
Herbaceous kinds bloom best in six-inch pots, but, if kept from

THB CALCEOLASIA. 81

flowering, may be potted on and bloomed in eiglit-inch pots to
advantage; indeed the first-blooming stems frequently come very
irregular, and if pinched off when about three inches above the
surface, and the plant shifted to a pot one size larger, they throw
up several stems of equal strength, and if they require it, may be
neatly staked so as to enable them to expand regularly.

By a little careful management, it is very easy to bring them
into bloom just at the time when they will be wanted for exhibition.
When the first blooms are pinched off and the plant re-potted,
the second blooms usually appear six weeks afterwards. To bloom
them in May, they ought to be sown in August, and have their
last shift at the end of March; to bloom in June, some from
the same sowing will do, to have their last shift at the end of
April; and for blooming in July, sow in September, and shift
finally at the end of May. With a little management as to the
times of successive pottings and the selection of plants as to size,
one sowing will do for the whole stock of early and late bloomers.

Although shrubby Calceolarias may be grown successfully in
one uniform compost of sweet fibry loam four parts, sand, leaf-
mould, and old cow or stable-dung one part each; it is advisable
in the final potting of the shrubby kinds to adopt Mr. John Green's
method, the value of which is proved in his great success as a
raiser of first-class varieties. He first secures good drainage by
a layer of potsherds, then a quantity of bog-mould and cow-dung
in lumps as big as a hen's egg, then potsherds again, filling up
with a mixture of loam and well-decayed cow-dung. The plants
are then placed where they can be shaded with gauze or tiffany,
and the house being closed early in the afternoon, the leaves are
syringed all over, and the temperature kept at 4&° at night and
60^ in the day, giving air as much as possible. As soon as the
plants make fresh root, they have abundance of water, and, in
addition, once a week liquid manure from well-fermented sheep's-
dung.

Well-grown Calceolarias ought at exhibition time to measure
two feet high, and two feet in diameter; there is no excuse for
pimping plants held upon sticks, when a little extra care as to
potting will make bushes of them, with two or three dozen flower-
stems to each.

82 THE CALCBOLABIA.

CHAPTEE V.

PROPAGATION BY DIVISION AND BY CUTTINGS.

Thb herbaceous and half-shrubby varieties are the most difficult
to propagate by cuttings, but the shrubby sorts come from cuttings
as easily as geraniums. But it is sometimes desirable to perpetuate
a good herbaceous kind without trusting to seed, and there is
no better plan than to divide the root. This is not a difficult
operation. When the plants are going out of flower they should
be prepared for division. As soon as the best of the flowering
is over, remove all young flower-shoots, turn them out of their
pots, and reduce the ball of each so that it will go into a pot of
half the size of that in which it was bloomed. Pot them in these
smaller pots, using equal parts of leaf-mould or rotted turf, peat,
strong yellow loam, and sand. Place them in a cool frame, and
keep them moist and close for a few days, then give air and
promote a healthy growth, and in about three weeks numerous
side-shoots will appear. Earth up these side-shoots, and they
will rapidly make root in the soil that surrounds them, and
when well rooted, take them off, pot them in small pots, and
place them in a cool frame, and keep moist and shaded till they
make a fair start. They will soon require re-potting, when a little
well-rotted dung must be mixed with the compost, and from that
time the culture will be the same as detailed in the last chapter.
Young autumn-struck plants of the herbaceous kind do better if
wintered in four-inch pots, and with the first start in spring may
be potted into larger pots, and grown on for blooming. Grenerally,
herbaceous Calceolarias are best propagated by seed, and treated
as annuals or biennials.

To secure abundance of cuttings of the shrubby kinds, plant
them out in the garden borders as soon as they have done blooming,
and stop the leading shoots. As soon as these shoots show a little
woodiness of texture, slip them ofl*, trim away the lower leaves,
and then insert in a catting-pot, with an inch of pure white sand
on the top of the compost. In a cold frame they will root in
three weeks, when they must be potted off in small pots, kept

THX CALCBOI^BU. 83

ihaded for a week in a cool frame, and then set out in tlia open air
Id a bed of coal-aaheg till the fota &re filled with roots, and from
tbt time tike oulture nill be the tame ea detailed in the preriooa
chiptei. On a north border in antomn Bhrobby Calpeolariu mAj
be ewly atmck in almost any quantitieB from a few strong plants
tkt have flowered. Pas4^'s patent catting-pot, which ia made
iritli a lim to reoeire a bell-glaw, does admirably far SDoh propa-
gitiaiL Thou^ generally used in the culture of ferns, theae pots
an Texy ctmvenient for catlings of all hard- wooded plants; we
can k«ep them cloae with a glass, and at the same time have
the cuttings next the side of the pot, where they always root
most readily. Since aatumn-striick plants grow very faat in Uie

q»ng, there is little need for keeping old stools through the
winter, unless to take more cuttings from in spring. Mild bottom-
heat makes them strike rapidly then, but the grower must be
eautiouB not to oat off stems that are setting for bloom, for these
will never sbrike. A blooming stem may be known by the space
between the joints becoming longer tiian in young growing wood;
and if cuttings from plants in which the apace between the joints
has began to lengthen be desired, it will be necessaiy to top them ;
they will then throw out side-shoots, and every one of these will
make good plants if struck with bottom-heat in spring, and then
grown on quickly in the way already described. There ia nothing
like young plants; old ones are seldom wortli their keep; and
for bedding ont, the sbrabby stock ought to be struck in autumn.

84 THB CA.LCBOLABIA..

CHAPTEE VI.

SEASONAL MANAGEMEI9T, DISEASES, AND ENEMIES.

. I HATE already explained how necessary coolness, moistnre, and
free exposure to air at all times except during frost are to the
Calceolaria. From the moment seeds and cuttings are up, they
should never be dry; damp is less prejudicial than drought.
During winter, keep them as near the glass as possible, and
when much artificial heat is used, the pots must stand on a moist
bottom, and an occasional syringing overhead on sunny days will
sustain their health and vigour. But though moisture is so ne-
cessary, the pots must always be well drained, and especially if
kept in a cool frame. Young plants must not be over-potted;
see that the pots are filled before shifting into larger ones. Such
treatment will ensure an abundance of stout flower-stems from April
to July, according to the age of the plants; and there ought to be
but little need of sticks to support them, though some fine varieties
produce such enormous trusses that it is sometimes advisable to
give a little support, but the sticks should be as inconspicuous as
possible.

Grown according to the foregoing directions, there will be little
to fear of either disease or enemies. Sometimes a brown dis-
colouration occurs — possibly fungus — which seizes on the fc^age
and becomes contagious, but this is usually the result of over-
culture. If kept as hardy as possible by fair exposure, the sorts
are pretty permanent, and invariably healthy, but if at all coddled,
although fine blooms and striking varieties may be obtained, they
soon fall a prey to this leprosy, and at last die out. If the air
of the greenhouse is hot and dry, red spider may attack them,
and the remedy is sulphur fumes from a hot-water plate, with
a good syringing to follow; moisture is always death to the red
spider. Green fly is the most common pest, and the moment one
is seen, shut up the house and fumigate with tobacco, keep the
plants cool, give air, and use the syringe, and that enemy may
find a quietus. Dry air also produces thrip; smoke and sulphur-

THB CALCSOLASIX. 85

water are the remedies again. If a yaluable plant is attacked
with any of the aboye pests, and smoke and sulphnr fail, syringe
it with soap and water, in which a little size has been dissolved;
shade a few days, then S3rringe again with rain-water slightly
tepid, remoye the top soil, and replace it with a little sweet and
geBerons compost; but second-rate plants are best burnt at once
if insects really get firm possession of them.

CHAPTER VII.

PBOPEBTIES AND SELECTION OF VARIETIES.

The Calceolaria has a fresh and hearty foliage, which contributes
yery mnch to its beauty. However fine the flowers, the foliage
ought to be bright and healthy, the plants shrubby and strong,
and the flower-stems stout enough to carry the trusses without
support. The trusses should be large, and the flowers of each
truss ought to open nearly *at one time, so as to display a globular
mass of colour. The blossoms should be circular in outline, without
crumples or serratures, the lip well blown out; if flat, no amount
of colour will compensate. The mouth must be small; it cannot
be too small. Selfe should be very vividly coloured, and spotted
ones regularly marked on a clear ground colour. St. Alban's
Grem, raised by that eminent grower, Cole, of St. Albans, is a
model of properties of the shrubby class.

For pot culture the varieties are numerous enough, but for
bedding we must still adhere to the best of the shrubby sorts;
for the truly herbaceous are fitful in blooming, and the semi-
shrubby are apt to die off* in three or four years, even if attempted
to be kept on from cuttings; and at their best they cannot always
be depended on for continuance of bloom. True the remedy is
in seedlings, but for bedding purposes seedlings are imsuitable;
we ought to know the habit and tint of a flower to a mathe-
matical certainty before we risk bedding it, or, when too late, the
entire arrangement of a garden may be ruined for a season.

Well-known shrubby sorts, struck in the autumn and wintered

H

86 THE CALCEOLABIA.

in cold frames, with no more care tlian would be bestowed on
cauliflowers, make the best of stock for bedding. They do better
ih a bed than in pots, and at the end of April may be lifted
with good balls, and planted out for the season, where they will
get established with the help of the spring rains before the
general bedding stock can be trusted in open quarters, being so
far hardy as to bear a temperature of 30° without injury.

Among the sorts best adapted for bedding the Rugosa section
is perhaps the most used; Wellington Hero is a fine, golden yellow;
Cole's Groldfindeif a superb yellow; Sulphurea splendens, the most
hardy of all — ^it will stand the winter in the south of England;
£entish Hero and Shankleyana do well together in beds; so also
with Ajax and Admiration. Among the marked flowers Little
Dorrit and Shirley are good, the first having a yellow hood and
a purple crimson front, with a margin of yellow; Shirley is a
warm buff, with a clear yellow hood.

LIST OF FIEST-CLASS SHRUBBY CALCEOLARIAS,

SELECTED FBOH THE EXTENSIVE AND HIGH-CLASS STOCK
OF MB. CHABLES TUBNEB, 07 SLOUGH.

Those marked fhuB • are admirable for bedding.
TWELVE NEW CALCEOLARIAS,

BAISED BT MB. COLE, OF THE KEYFIELD NURSERIES, ST. ALBANS.

Gem, orange brown, margin of yellow. (Frontispiece.)

Indispensable, fine for pot culture.

King of Yellows, very dwarf and abundant bloomer.

* Yellow Prince of Orange, bright yellow— a splendid variety.

* Lady Middleton, orange brown.

* Yellow Dwarf, yellow, blooms till late in the autumn.

• Rubra, light orange red, very dwarf— an Immense bloomer.
Snowflake, white, very distinct — a charming pot variety.

• Dropmore, straw yellow.
Canary Bird, pale canary yellow.

Clown, yellow with dark spots— fine for pot culture.

• California, rich golden yellow, stiflf habit.

THB CALCBOLABIA. 87

OLDER VARIETIES.

AU Uioee marked for bedding are good for {tot calture, but not vice venL.

Albira, (Cole,) yellow with brown spots, flree blooming, shrubby habit.
Ajax, (Pince,) brownish red, yellow margin, large and showy.

* Aarea floribanda, orange yellow, dwarf compact habit, dense masses of

flower.

* AmplexicanUs, pale yellow — a noted bedder.

Attraction, (Perkins,) crimson, with orange margin and cap.
Bmnettia, (Henderson,) like Crimson King.

* Beauty of Montreal, light crimson, small flower, but firee blooming.
Camden Hero, (Barnes,) rich crimson.

* Crimson Eling, deep crimson, large, and of rather tall habit.
Corroggio, (Henderson,) large, brownish crimson.

* Cleopatra, (Cole,) pale lemon, a good bedder.

Comet, (Cole,) bright bronzy crimson, good form and substance.
Conspicua, (Cole,) brown and yellow, very dwarf.

* Desirable, (Perkins,) bright crimson.

Don Satumio, (Henderson,) orange brown, large flower.

Don Francisco, (Henderson,) dark crimson, Sultan habit.

Eclipse, (Rollisson,) bright crimson scarlet, a fine variety, but not a

tree grower.
Ethel Kewcome, (Henderson,) yellow, not so good as many others.

* Erecta,jich yellow, a Jirtt-rate bedding variety.

Emperor Napoleon, (Youell,) orange crimson with yellow margin, large.
General Canrobert, (Henderson,) rich rosy crimson.

* General Pelissier, (Henderson,) light crimson.

* Goldfinder, (Cole,) rich yellow — ^the best of the new bedders.
Golden Cap, brown and yellow with yellow cap, dwarf habit

* Golden Chain, dwarf yellow, ft^e habit.

* Hawk, (Cole,) orange, spotted with brown blotches, bright, and good

habit.
Harlequin, (Cole,) dull orange and brown, spotted; novel.
Hebe, (Cole,) yellow dotted with bronzy red, dwarf, sub-shrubby habit.
Kayi, yellow.

* King of Sardinia, (Cole,) rich crimson, large flower, dwarf habit; the

best crimson for bedding.
Lady Grcnville, (Cole,) yellow, speckled with coppery red ; sub-shrubby.

* Lemonade, (Cole,) pale yellow, and best late.

Lady Isham, (Perkins,) reddish brown edged with yellow.
Maggiore, (Henderson,) dark brownish crimson.

88 THE CALCEOLABIA.

Minnie, (Henderson.) bright scarlet crimson, small flower, very ftee.
Norma, (Henderson,^ large, dark brownish crimson.
Negro, (Nelson,) darkest crimson of all, only fit for pot culture.
Novelty, (Cole,) buflf with lake blotch, very distinct.

* Orange Perfection, (Cole,) soft pale orange; valuable variety.

• Orange Boven, (Cole,) bright brownish orange, dwarf habit, free bloomer.

• Pallida, (Cole,) pale canary yellow.

Pilot, (Cole,) crimson brown, small flowers.

• Prince of Orange, (Cole,) bright orange brown fading to light orange,

very dwarf habit, and an immense bloomer.
Purity, (Cole,) clear white, and free blooming. This variety is fine out

of doors, if autumn -struck plants are used, and not allowed to grow

too freely. A somewhat dry situation suits it best.
Rosy Mom, dark (oimson.
Red Rover, (Henderson,) like Wildfire.
Surprise, (Henderson,) very much like Correggio.
Sultan, rich dark crimson, fine for pots, but superseded by King of

Sardinia for utility.

* Sulphurea splendens, dwarf habit.

Shirley, (Henderson,) pale yellowish brown, beaten by Prince of Orange.
Shankleyana, like Kentish Hero, but darker.

* Superb, (Turner,) very dark, of good dwarf habit.
Tamberlik, (Cole,) brownish buff.

Yezzoza, shaded orange and crimson. ^

Viscosissima, deep yellow.

Wellington Hero, (Henderson,) deep yellow, lai^e flowers; good, but

not equal to Goldfinder.
Wildfire, (Henderson,) brownish crimson, large flowers.

GABDEN FAVOURITES.

THE

GERANIUM:

ITS

HISTOIIY, PEOPEETIES, CULTIVATION,
PKOPAGATION, AND GENERAL MANAGEMENT

IN ALL SEASONS.

BY SHIRLEY HIBBERD,

Author of '^Bustic Adornments for Homes of Taste," etc.

"The varied oolonrs run, and while they break
On the charm'd eye, the exulting florist marks
With secret pride the wonder of his hand.

• • • •

Infinite numbers, delicacies, smells,
With hues on hues expression cannot paint.
The breath of nature, and her endless bloom."

LONDON:

OEOOMBEIDGE AND SONS, PATEENOSTEE, EOW.

M DCCC LYII.

THE GEEANIUM.

CHAPTEE I.

Though my window is small, and the enrtaina are grey,

My few bonny flowers smile dulness away;

My myrtles, my roses, my dazzling pinks.

Glitter brave in the sunshine : and sometimes metbinks

That a prince in his grandeur would turn him aside,

For a glimpse of the face of my gaily-dressed bride,

Pelargonium her name— oh, her beauty is rare.

She *s the pride of my window, the choicest bloom there.

BOTANY AND OEOOBAFHY OF OEBANIACEJE.

Eyebywhebe the glorious June has draped herself in brightest
colours, and the world is frenaied with the joy of flowers. The
gardens are in all their glory, flushing with dazzling hues, that
make the blessing of vision almost pass belief. Delicious the
green turf that breaks the gay parterres, yet unites them into
huge patterns of dazzling tint upon the refreshing green — the
bright smooth gravel and the distant belts of shrub all claiming
to be essential parts of a picture, in which the "bedded" plants
make a feast for the eyesight, that no language can describe.
If we turn to the hedgerows and the open wastes, where the
sunshine beats down in pulsations, and the air seems giddy with
intense light and heat, how do the wildings splash their colours
there, making every knoll into a temple of Flora, and adding to
the grandeur of the leaflness of the woods, in their sprinklings
of many colours. There is the foxglove, with its noble spire, the
stitchwort, lingering still with its fragile blooms of snowy white,
the hoary mullien, the darling speedwell, with its "eye of blue"
twinkling everywhere, the wild rocket, the bladder campion, the
sweet convolvulus, "in streaked vases flush," the Lurid nightshade,

I

90 THX aiRASlVU.

die starry tonnentil. and ererywhere thouaandB of crane's biHa, i»
lilac, pinlc> row, trad wliite, garlanding the banks witli n^riads
of the neatett and brightest bloesoms to be found in the whole
wreatli of snmmer wildings.

We hare a large number of this cnne'a bill tribe inhabiting
oor hedgerows, and lorely things they are, as they aparlcle from

their green nests Ulce jewels leil there by the faines. These aro
all Geraniums, and have the churacteriHtic properties by which
members of the family aje readily known. The most common
and beat knowa of the whole fsmily is the Herb Bobert, (Qerani«M
Sobertiotttim,) which is a showy weed of the hedges, sometimes
introdnced to tiie garden for the embellishment of the rockery,

THE OBBANIUIC. 91

or to trail orer the sides of a rustic basket. These wild crane's
bills naturally introduce us to the order OeranicLcea, which is an
extensive group of plants comprising three distinct genera, namely.
Pelargonium, Erodium, and Geranium; or stork's bill, (Pelargos,
a stork,) heron's bill, (Srodius, a heron,) and ^^^^e*B bill (Crera^
not, a crane.)

In all of these the styles or awns which surmount the seed-vessels
bear a very moderate resemblance to the head and beak of a
stork, a heron, or a crane; hence the several names of the
genera, as distinguished by minute differences in the production
of the seeds. Most of the true Geraniums and Erodiums axe
European, many of them British wildings; the majority are hardy,
and flourish in any common soil. The best of real Geraniums
for gardens are G. Mexicanumj Wallackianum, Lancastriense,
rubijblium, Dahuricum, sanguineum, pilosum, and pratense flora
plena, the double meadow crane's bill. But when we turn to
the genus Pelargonium we meet with the splendid flowers of the
Cape of Gtx)d Hope, on which, for years, florists have lavished their
care, and which now number hundreds of species, and thousands
of varieties. A Pelargonium has a calyx of five sepals, two of
which end in a spur, which runs down the footstalk, so that the
latter appears enlarged near the base. The corolla is in five
petals, the upper pair being usually larger and diflerently marked
to the others. Though the perfect stamens vary in number from
four to seven, there are always ten filaments. The cells of the
ovary are five one-seeded carpels, the styles being closely
attached when young, so as to resemble the long bill of the
stork, but these when ripe spring from each other, and every
seed has its feathery awn, by means of which the wind may
waft it abroad for the spreading of the race. The Geraniums
have ten stamens, all perfect and fertile, and the Erodiums only
fiye, so that in the Linnsean system the three families are separ-
ated as in the Natural, their differences being decisive.

The distinctness of the organs of fructification, their almost
invariable fertility, render it easy to hybridize the Pelargonium,
and, perhaps, there is no flower which has been crossed to a
greater extent or with more charming results.

In a floricultural view of the subject there are four distinct

92

THB 0E1LA.NIU1C.

&iiiilie8 of Hke Pel8rgoniam.**-The biennial and annual kinds,
the herbaoeoqa species, the tnberous-rooted, and the evei^g^reen
qhmbs; the latter being Pelargoniums or Gevanimns proper, to
which florists chiefly confine their attention. Of the six hundred
species Ipiown, tiie majority are natives of thiB Cape; some few
come from the Canary Islands, and one from Tristan d'Acnnha,
which is a still higher latitude than the Cape.

The geographic range of the Pelargoniums is of an intesmediate
character, neither strictly temperate nor truly troi»cBl. Cape
Colony is subject to violent droughts and deluging rains, yet
uniformity of seasons is its essential character. Sy the banks of

Seed-vessel of Geraniam.

the Karoo, where there is a seasonal drought, the Pelargoniums
become deciduous, but in moist places they are evergreen; and in
the same way when they are allowed to go utterly to rest in
winter, with no stimuli to growth, they shed their leaves, but
under continuous greenhouse culture they preserve their verdure
all through the year. Hence their adaptiveness to cultivation,
the possibility by their tendency to rest when encouraged, and
especially if well exposed in the summer and autumn, to become
nearly hardy; and hence also the ease with which they may be
forced and propagated, every joint having a fulness of life in it,
such as we find in few of the higher class of Florists* Flowers.

THB OEBAITIUM. 93

CHAPTEE n.

GEMBlliL CfULTTTBE XS1> SEASOITAL MjLNrAGEMSNT.

hi tke formation of a collection it is better if the cultivator

ean aj^^priate a hofuse wholly to this class of flowers; then

tiiej can ha^e the best of treatment, and a regular course of culture

may be pursued. An airy span-roofed house, with stages neair

ike glass, and abundiant means for ventilation, is what Hiey

require; they revel in excess of light, but need a free circulation

of air at dl times to give sufficient hardness to the wood.

Suppose a span-roofed house Mty feet long by twenty feet wide,

the sides of glass and moveable for ventilation, inside a central

stage of ten feet wide, a walk roand it, and a platform all

round next the side windows, two feet and a half broad, then

you have space on the stage for three rows of full-grown plants,

and the platforms will accommodate a large number of smaU

pknts in progress.

Though Pelargoniums take heat kindly there is no need in
building a house for them, to secure more artificial heat than
will suffice to keep out frost; and though a common flue is not
ike worst of heating mediums, a boiler and a set of hot-water
pipes is better. At this time of the year, (June,) the plants
are in their full glory, though some are already out of bloom
and ready for re-potting. As they go out of bloom in July let
them be cut down, and for a fortnight afterwards they should
remain in a cold pit to recover from the operation, during that
time giving occasional watering to the stems, keeping the roots
only moderately moist. They will soon break, when air must be
given, and preparations made for re-potting. This brings us to
the proper kind of soil for the purpose.

The Pelargonium does not require a rich soil, in fact duug is
no friend to it, though some few sorts need a richer soil to
bring them to perfection, and in the culture of large specimen
plants manure water is of great value, as we shall see presently.
But for ordinary and safe culture there is nothing like well-rotted

94 THE OBBiJflUM.

turf or sound loam, with a slight admixture of sand. The plan
adopted by most nurserymen is to secure a yearly supply of
turf from an old pasture; this is cut four inches thick, well
chopped, and then stacked in the compost yard, in ridges run-
ning north and south, and fullv exposed to the sun. This soon
ferments, and the gases produced in the process impregnate and
fertilize the whole of the soil. It is turned oyer every three
months, and at the end of a year is fit for use; a little sharp
sand is usually added, when it is finally turned over and broken
up for potting.

The process of potting specimens that have flowered must be
conducted with care. When the young shoots hare made an
inch or so of growth is the best time to choose; turn out the
ball, and shake as much soil as possible from the roots. The
roots are to be pruned a little, but not severely, but sufficiently
to enable you to pot them into pots two sizes smaller than those
they flowered in. Into these pot them firmly, water well and
place them in a cold pit and keep close for a week at least;
then give air gradually, and at last expose them freely, but not
to heavy rains or frosts. The successive pottings must be regu-
lated by the state of the plants, those potted at the end of
July must have their last shift at the end of October, and be
allowed to push for bloom during the winter to- make a gay
spring show; but- the later sorts, potted in July and August,
must be shifted on till November, and be put into blooming-pots
at the end of January, or not till February or March, if they
are late bloomers, or prove backward in growth. The grand
thing is to have successional blooms, and these several pottings
will insure it.

To keep stock in health and vigour it must not be crowded
in the house; let there be a free circulation of air summer and
winter, with an average temperature of 45° during the latter
season, with a rise to 60° or 56° during sunshine or when a brisk
fire is made up to drive away damp and secure a thorough change
of air. What I have said as to inducing as hardy a habit as
possible in the culture of the calceolaria, applies with equal force
to Pelargoniums, though, as they are a shade more tender than
calceolarias, they must always be secured against frost.

THE GBBANIUH. 95

Old plants, with stems of stout well-ripened wood, make fine
specimens that bloom early. There is not the necessity for young
staff, that is felt in iprowing many other choice plants — ^in
fact Geraniums improve with age if properly treated. Grown
freely, with moderate stopping, and occasional thinning where
they make an excess of new wood, they require but little
support, not that sticks can be done away with entirely, but the
less of them tiie better. It is a disgrace to our exhibitions that
even eminent growers crowd the tables with cripples, held up
mth {MTops and crutches, who ought to show amateurs that
plants may be grown to produce noble blooms and monster
trasses, and yet have strength in their stems to bear them,
without the aid of artificial supports.

Mr. Gtunes, an old hand at Pelargoniums, and a raiser of
some of the best varieties we have, thus epitomizes his own
system of culture. "I put out my cuttings in July, and put
them into a cold frame, well shaded from the sun. When they
are rooted I put them in a compost, consisting of equal parts
of loam and peat, mixed with a little silver-sand. In the last
wQck of September I house my plants, keeping the house at a
temperature of about 40°, and giving them all the air I can
during the day. In the beginning of February I pot them into
large pots — say the smaller into twenty-fours, and the larger into
sixteens or twelves. When this is completed I give them a
little constant heat to cause them to make fresh fibres. The
compost I use is one half of good rich loam, and the other
equal quantities of peat and leaf mould, with about a quart of
silver-sand to a bushel of the compost. When potting, I stop
off all the points of the leading shoots, so that the plants may
be kept short and bushy."

When cut down for re-potting, the cuttings may be struck
lor increase of stock, as described in the next chapter.

96 THB OBBANIUIC^

CHAFTEE III.

FBOPAaATION BT CUTTINGS.

t

As before remained, the Greranimn lias a tenacity and abiuii*
dance of life; every joint is rital^ and will meke root witk very
moderate eare, in fact there in nothing easier to propagate.

As is yery generally the case witii soft-wopded plants, Pekrr
goninm ci^ittings tak^ best if made immediately ailer tbe plants
have flowered; hence in cutting them down for new growth,
every inch of wood removed may be made into a plant. Show
and fam^ Fdargoniums are nenally struck in a gentle heat, but
bedding sorts, especially the old scarlet Geraniums, make the
best plants if struck in the open ground, fully exposed to the
sun of July and August.

A regular propagating house is the best place wherein to strike
cuttings of the more delicate kinds; a Waltonian case is also
first-rate for Geraniums of all kinds, and is a good adjunct to a
greenhouse. It is an invention of so much value to the amateur
Florist, that I shall devote a chapter to a description of it
presently. In the absence of either of these appliances a spent
hot-bed does well, if the soil is removed, and a bed of coal
ashes with sawdust above them, laid down to keep out worms,
and serve for plunging the pots in, the lights being then re-
placed as usual. In summer propagation, artificial heat is hardly
needed.

The best soil in which to strike cuttings, is a hazelly loam,
mixed with sand; the pots may be either five-inch, to receive
several cuttings all round next the pot, or small pots with one
cutting in the centre of each, to be allowed to root and fill
the pot before being shifted. The latter plan is convenient in
managing a small number, but where the stock is extensive,
the five-inch pots are best, but they require a tender care in
shifting, to avoid injuring the young roots.

In planting the cuttings first secure good drainage to the
pots by means of plenty of potsherds, the largest pieces being

TSS OXSAiflTTX.

97

j^aoed at th6 bottom, with the smaller above than. The soil

should be a clean haflelly loam, with a Httle sand mingled with

it, the whole passed through a coarse seive before filling the

pots with it. It requires a little judgment to use it in a sof*

ftdently moist state, for it is not weU to have to administer

water, nor is it possible to strike the cuttings in a soil positivelj

dry. Fill the pots and press the so^ quite firm, and make

the cuttings ready hy trimming off all but the two top leares;

pot th^n into the pots hetare they get dry. Each cutting

flhoald be from one to two inches long, a Httle firm at the

base-^if quite soft and green they may damp off— and the best

CuttiDg Jttftt removed.

The same ready for potting.

^ttiogs are the side shoots that have not flowered. Dibble in the

cuttings round the inside of the pot, so that they touch the ware,

^d with the leaves pointing inwards, so that when the pots are

closely packed, none of the leaves will be injured. PluDge them

iii| the dry sawdust and shut down close, and darken with a

mat or whatever may be handy, to exclude the light. Next

morning give them all a fine shower from the smallest-drilled rose

you have, sufficient to wet the soil quite through, leave them

uncovered for an hour to allow the leaves and the surface of the

soil to dry a little, and again shut close and darken before the

sun shines on the frame. After a week give air regularly, and by

98 THB GSBANIITH.

degrees expose them to the light, removing the shade in the moming
only at first, then moming and evening, and at last enconraging
growth by light, air, and moisture, according to yonr judgment
of their requirements. The next step is to pot them into the
smallest mxties as soon as they have made fair root, when the
routine described in Chapter II. will commence, and the plants
will be shiilied on and put into blooming pots as soon as the
new year brings a glimpse of sunshine.

At every potting give shade and moisture, but as soon as the
plants are a little established, let them have air, and stop them
by nipping off the top buds to make the side buds push. These
latter are to be stopped as soon as they have made three leaves,
and any ill-placed shoots must be removed altogether, the object
of the grower being to obtain stocky plants, full of strength and
bushy to the base, so that when blooming time comes, colour
shall break from every joint, and the plants present masses
instead of being merely dotted with bloom. With a gentle
bottom heat, cuttings of Geraniums strike freely in March, and
make good plants for flowering late in the season.

In propagating Fancy Geraniums a different plan must be
pursued, for these do not root so readily as other kinds. A
propagating house with gentle bottom heat is necessary. The
cuttings must be short, with a little of the old wood at the
base of each. Use shallow pans, or "Paacall's Propagating Pots,"
with plenty of drainage, sand, and loam, as described above, and
a very little moisture; keep close, with a temperature of about
60° for the first week; then give air and water by degrees, and
as soon as they make a start for rooting, which may be known
by the forming of callosities, give water more freely, and proceed
with the routine detailed above.

THB aEBANIUM. 99

CHAPTEE IV.

PBOPAGATIOK BT BOOTS, BUDS, AHD LBATES.

GrXBAKiTTMS are 80 full of life, tliat every part of the plant
may be nsed for propagation, not excepting even the leaves and
flower-stalks. To Mr. Donald Beaton, of Snrbiton, we owe many
recent additions to onr knowledge of this subject, and if the
"Experimental Grarden," which is Mr. Beaton's hobby, had done
nothing more for the flower world than establish these new
modes of propagating Geraniums, it would have done enough to
entitle it and its veteran possessor to the grateful acknowledg-
ments of all who take a sincere interest in horticultural progress.

It is true that in plant propagation many things have been
discovered that are of little practical value, nevertheless how
much of the real every-day-work of the florist has been improved
by the speculations and experiments of men devoted to the
science, through an ardent love of it, and gifted with special
abilities to pursue untrodden paths P Mr. Beaton's experiments on
this class of plants alone may be regarded as marking the highest
point attained by any cultivator during this present century.

The propagation of Geranimns ficom roots is only pursued with
such varieties as refuse to be increased by cuttings; some of the
J^aTudes, and the original Capes being those usually propagated in
this manner. The plan is to take an old plant which has
flowered, turn it out carefully, and shake the soil entirely away
from the roots. Then cut the roots into short pieces, retaining
to each a few healthy fibres, and pot these root cuttings in
sandy loam, in very small pots, leaving the top of the cutting
just exposed to the daylight. A gentle watering and a steady
bottom heat of 70^ with shade, till they begin to break, will
insure plants at the rate of ninety per cent. Many of the roots
will break in several places, in which case the shoots must be
reduced to one, which is to be the stem of the future plant.
In removing the superfluous shoots many will be obtained with
a little root attached, these will also make plants if carefully
tended, with heat, moisture, and shade for a time. The plants

100 THB OBBANIUM.

obtained in this way have very much the appearance of seedlings,
and need stopping when they have attained the height of three
or four inches.

In propagating by buds take the shoots off plants that are
pushing vigorously. Remove the leaves, leaving the base of the
leaf-stalk attaehed to the stem, and to each bud leave a qua^r
of an indi of wood below the bud. Split the shoot doWn the
centre, and plant every portion of the split stems which contain
buds thxis prepared in shallow pans fiiled with loaAi and sandy
without a particle of manure or leaf mould.

In planting it is necessary to use a short blunt stick, a little
larj^r than the cuttings. Make the hole, drop into it a pinch
of dry sand, then put in the cuttmg with the cut side next
the pan; fill up with sand and leave the point of flte bud just
visible to light. A gentle bottom heat with moderate moisture
and shade will cause them to break, and every (me with carefcd
treatment will form a good plant. For increasing stock early ia
spring this plan is admirable, for the plants may be made to
furnish an immense number of buds for the purpose, which will
root quickly, and form good stock for blooming late the same
season.

A Waltonian case, set to work ait the end of February, would
dp wonders in this way for any amateur needing but a moderate
gupply of plants, yet determined to enjoy the recreation of rats^
ing them himself. The mode of propagating from leaves is
tiius described by Mr. Beaton, in the seventeenth volume of
the "Cottage Gardener:" —

"The smallest-sized pots are the best for all scarce Greranium
cuttings. One cutting to be put in a thumb pot, and thirteen
pots to the dozen ought to be a safe rule in gardening practice,
but not in nursery practice. One or two per cent, is all the
verge on "profit and loss" which most nurserymen allow to their
Geranium propagators ; but then they do nothing else besides.

I prefer sixty-sized pots, and four leaves in a pot, because
thumb pots are such fiddling work to water, and then they are
apt to be dry before you can turn your back. The frame, or
pit, or propagating house for this work must not be quite so
damp as for ordinary propagation, not, at least, till after the

THE GERANIUM. 101

middle of Ms^. The easiest way is to cut np a stem into so

many joints, the out to be just above the joint; then yoa baye

the length of stem between the jmnts for a oatling. Each

length has one leaf and one bud at the upper end, and each

ought to be thrust into dry silver-white sand in a flower^pot

saucer as soon as it is out. The dry sand will suck up the

moisture from the cut ends in a short time, and thus render

them less liable to damp. The cutting pot to be filled as for

other cuttings, but with a thicker covering of sand on the top**-

80 thick that the bottom of the cutting is just between the

sand and the sandy compost below. The leaf side of the cutting

is to be the farthest from the side of the pot, and if the leaf

it top-heavy, or is a very thin leaf and not able to bear up,

it must be tied to a little stick; and lastly, the centre of tiie

pot must be left with a hollow to take the watering without

wetting the cutting.

If, on the other hand, leaves are to be taken without cutting
the shoots into lengths, you will have to take a good slice
behind and helow the bud, as you would for budding, and the
flat side of the slice is to be next the side of the cutting pot,
and quite dose to it. The top of the bud, or part where the
bud is out of sight, to be just below the surface and no more.
All the rest of the proceedings are the same as for joint pieces.
From 60° to 70° is the best heat for these kinds of eutting^;
for if the heat is much higher the buds will start before roots
are made to sustain the growth, and that might kill them.

I have struck a potful of a dozen leaves sliced off, and all
resting against one fiat tally-like stick in the centre of the pot,
and r'have docked leaves by cutting one-half of them off all
round, in order to get them to stand up "pricked ear" fashion;
for if they are allowed to flag or droop t^y do little or no
good. The young plants they make are more like seedlings than
established plants; therefore the plan is more useful for new or
rare kinds.

The roots of Geraniums make cuttings as well as the t(^,
and they grow into plants much sooner than leaf cuttings. At
this season, (March,) or when we examine the stock of old plants,
1 mean bedding plants, we find some are gooe at the eoUar, while

102 THB QEBAKIUM.

tihe roots and top are as fresh as larks. There is not erne
moment to be lost when you find the black disease has encircled
the collar of a favourite kind. If the black is not all round
the stem, you may perhaps get rid of it with a careM slicing
away of the black part, like a surgeon dressing a bad jagged
wound; but in most the safest way is to cut down the plant,
and make cuttings of the tops and roots.

Thus last week I found one of my best seedlings from Punch
had gone black at the collar, and there was more than an inch
black all round the bottom of the stem. I cut this plant below
the black part, and just over the top of where the first roots
sprung from; I then pulled up the stump gently, so that part of
the top roots are now above the surface of the mould, and I
shall chance it to make shoots as a dahlia root does.

A safer plan would be to shake out the roots from the mould,
and make independent cuttings of the largest of them, cutting
them into four-inch lengths, and plantisg them close together
round the sides of a pot, with little more than quarter of an inch
above the surface. The top of this plant, which was a single-
seedling stem, I cut into three good substantial cuttings; but,
being stout and not very ripe, I left them twenty-four hours
before I put them in. One ought to examine the roots of all
dead or dying Geraniums, and if it is a valuable kind we shoidd
try to save it by root cuttings.'*

After all the most simple plan of propagation is the best —
best as giving least trouble with great certainty, and best also
as insuring stock that will winter well, and break magnificently
in spring. From the middle of July to the middle of September
every kind of Pelargonium, fancy, bedder, or what else, will come
from cuttings in the open soil without shading, almost without
being looked at from the day of planting, till the time comes to
pot them off for winter. For fifteen years past I have
propagated Geraniums of aU kinds in this way, putting the
cuttings into an open border, with no other preparation than
just the mere removal of the lower leaves; and though they have
had the sun on them from the day of planting to the time of
taking up, the losses have been next to nothing, and the plants
equal, nay better than could be had by any system of coddling

TBB GSBAKIUM. 103

in-doon. As for Geraniums in beds, the inner shoots can be

taken off by hundreds when about four inches long, and just

finn at the base. Let each have a heel; smooth off the heel with

s knife, trim off three or four of the bottom leaves, and put

them in at once before they dry, in any piece of spare ground

you have which is fully exposed; a border facing the west being

perhaps the best position. They may be in rows six inches apart,

and four inches from cutting to cutting. If the weather is very

dry a little water must be given for the first few days, and after

that they may just be left alone till well rooted, and that will

hajypen soon enough to enable you to pot them off by the end

o{ September, and you will have the finest stock for health and

rigour that can be had for bedding next summer. Mr. Beaton

says, "there is neither a single nor a double Geranium in the

country, nor a Pelargonium, nor a fancy Geranium, but will

come from cuttings in the fuU sun, from the first day of August

to the 10th. of September. The Bridal King is probably the

most delicate Geranium we hare after Countess. Both of them

root from cuttings with me, on a west border, without the least

particle of shade, and I did not put any shade over cuttings of

any of the race in the open air for the last dozen years."

To the quotations already made from the valuable contributions
of Mr. Beaton to the "Cottage Grardener," the following may be
added as especially interesting to the breeder of seedling Pelar-
goniums. "In the Experimental Garden they can root the flower
stalks of Geraniums quite as easily as the shoots, or cuttings,
or leaf stalks; if a cross breeder should send a truss of flowers
to be seen and judged, the people of the 'Experimental' are so
clever, that they not only root the stalk of the truss, but get
the remaining portion of the flower buds to open, use the pollen
of such flowers on their own breeders, or extract the anthers,
and make use of so many new mothers, on which to dust the
pollen of the Experimental stock." This and the established facts
of rooting any part of the stem, the mere leaf and the dormant
bud of the Geranium, are worth all the theories that ever were
propounded to puzzle gardeners; the grand thing is that they are
facts, which any one with a plant and a handful of mould may
verify for himself.

XBB QEBlHIITlf.

CHAPTES V.

THB WALTONIU4 CA3B.

The Waltonian Case recently referred to is a Tsloable auxiliary
to the work of spring propagation, and especially as a means of
increasing bedding gtock from ]:dants kept over winter for t^
purpose. It is the invention of Mr. Walton, of Surbiton, Middlesex;
improved and brought to its present perfection by Mr. 'West, of

Surbiton, who is the Bole manufaeturor. We may here briefly
desoribe it. The figure representing the case in action, conveys
the idea of an ordinary garden-frame of a neat construction. Suuh
is its appearance and general use, but its peculiarity is that it
oontains a provision for the maintenance of a steady bottom heat,
fflid that heat can be so regulated as to fit it for any of the
ordinary uses of a dung-pit or a propagating house.

The manner in which heat is supplied will be understood by
reference to the subjoined diagrams. In Figure I. is represented
A frame or trough of zinc, which forms the inside bottom of the
case on which the plants rest. This dish has two perforations
in its upper surface, the central one, C, communicating with a
boiler, A, which is attached to the under side of the trough, and D
wrving as a flue for the escape of smoke from a lamp which
burns beneath A, and which after traversing a hot-air chamber,
which forms a portion of the inner construction of A, escapes by
the tube or flue E, which fits over the orifice D, and conducts
the smoke out through the back of the case. The under side
of the trough is seen in Figure II., where A is the boiler, C

No. L

No. n.

the entrance to the hot-air chamber, into which the flame of the
lamp enters; and F the outer casing of the chamber. When
this tray is placed in the case, the hole, C, in the boiler, fits over
a box in which the lamp is placed.

The boiler is filled, and the lamp lighted, and a steady heat
soon rises to the upper surface of the tray. This latter is covered
with an inch deep of silver-sand, kept constantly damp, and on
this layer of damp sand the pots are ranged as in any ordinary
pit. One which I had at work this spring, and which turned out
for me a vast number of young Geraniums and similar stock
propagated rather for experiment than for any other reason, has
the following dimensions. Length of tray, B B, thirty-four and

106 THE 6EBANIUM.

a half inches, breadth seyenteen inches, which is equivalent to a
working space for pots, of five hundred and sixty square inches;
sufficient for thirty-two three-inch pots, in four rows of eight each.
The price of the size described is forty-eight shillings, but of
course they may be made of all sizes, and at all prices. It is
an ingenious mode of introducing the working department of plant
propagation to the sitting or drawing-room; for this is just the
sort of utiHtarian toy that will be sure to entertain an invalid, or
prove a useful adjunct to a greenhouse in the hands of a practical
amateur florist. Space does not allow me to say more here on
the subject of Waltonian Cases. In ''Eustic Adornments for
Homes of Taste," I have dealt with the subject in detail, and
to that work must refer the reader for an account of its various
uses and minutiae of management.

CHAPTEE VI.

THE PELAEGONIUM AS A FLOEIST's FLOWEE. ITS SAl^E,
FEOPEETIES, AND FEOSFECTS.

Theee is nothing that takes the eye more quickly at a summer
show, than a stage of Pelargoniums; he who schemes an entire
exhibition, ought to have the fear of them ever before his eyes, for
if injudiciously placed, they are capable of effacing the impressions
that plants of weaker colour would make, by their intense glare
of dazzling tints. They seem to rejoice in their gaudy trusses,
which they hold aloft like cressets of fire, and one can scarcely
look on a mass of them, when they ecKpse some neighbouring
plants of merit, without thinking of that story of Turner, in which
he lays on vermilion to "put the Scotchman's eye out."

The real splendour, usefulness, ready propagation, and the
large average of successes that attend hybridizing, are reasons
enough for the popularity of the Pelargonium. Besides the many
species, the crosses alone begin to bewilder one, and we have
fancies, bedding sorts, variegated, and many whites, pinks, and
scarlets; but the large-flowered variety, of which our frontispiece
presents an example, is the Pelargonium proper — the pride of

THE GSEANIUH. 107

the florist, and the subject of much skilful, manly, honest, but
fierce competition. What Lyne and Gaines have done in times
past. Beck, Foster, Hoyle, Kinghom, and Tamer, are labouring
at still. The charming markings of White Perfection, one of the
prettiest things Lyne ever raised; the splendid form and substance;
of Redworth and Celestial, the neat colouring of Marmion and
Hesperus, are even more than matched in such welcome acquisitions
as Emperor, Wonderful, Petruchio, Sanspariel, and Gem of tlie
West, though to these a round five and twenty might be added
from the list of newest things, and it would be a puzzle to deter-
mine which, all points considered, should bear away the palm.

Still the growers have yet something to learn; in witness whereof
behold the forests of sticks that some collections come burdened
with, note the over-growth here and the under-growth there, and
the vast difference in tone and character of the same variety, as
produced by different growers. The provincial florists are certainly
far behind those of the metropolis in this respect, for the Pelar-
gonium is truly a metropolitan flower, and for thirty miles round
the metropolis is the region of its greatest perfection.

In regard to high culture there is evidently a want of some
reliable, generally agreed-to standard. While Mr. Beck produces
noble trusses in such free-blooming sorts as Star and Bosamond,
M!r. Hoyle labours at the individual blossoms, confining himself
more perhaps to form than to colour; but colour alone seems to
be the grand aim of Mr. Foster; at the same time each in the
path he has chosen is a Hercules. This brings us to the question
^l 'properties, on which in the case of this particular flower, a
fair-sized volume might be written. The ladies like the nosegay
Geraniums, they doat upon the bedding sorts, and care little about
what florists call "properties." No doubt the ladies are right, and
Sir Joseph Paxton did wisely when he offered prizes for the
improvement of those very sorts which are of necessity cast out
of the true florist's catalogue, but which are invaluable in garden
and conservatory decoration. If we get close-growing kinds that
look hearty, and that carry heavy trusses of dazzling or chaste
colours on long flower stems, and with little disposition to seed,
what more can we want for purposes of decoration? And if
among the variegated Geraniums we can come to depend on good

tHX OSBANHIlt.

foliage, without packered eJgei, as ia the pretty Golden Chun,
wlij then our schemes of edging and shading wUl be perfected,
while for choioer purpoMi the free-bUxmUng Aaw Tarieties will

carry the day, when their colours are striking and their habit
good, even if they do not conform to rules, when put to the

THB OBBAiriUH. 109

test, as to properties. Among the 'fancies" a few darks, or novel
tints of orange, red, and white, are wanted for variety's sake,
and if such growers as Turner, Ambrose, and Henderson, will
keep such in view, no doubt they wiU soon be forthcoming.

Strictly then the test of properties must be confined to the
large-flowering Pelargoniums, all other sorts creep out of the
exhibitiQiL catalogue by some loophole or other. The annexed
engraving will explain the ideal circle, and the nearest approxi-
mation yet made to it. Theoretically the flower must be exactly
circular, with no indentations <m the margin; the petals should
be of good substance, broad, smooth at the edges, and slightly
cupped, and so overlapping as to present the appearance of a
slightly concave disc, rather than a flve-petalled flower. The
colour should be bright and dense, the spots on the upper petals
contrasting well with the ground colour, as in White Perfection,
where the nearly black upper petals are margined with a sharp
edging of white, having a splendid effect. Both the upper petals
should be alike, and the lower petal imiform in arrangement with
the centre of the upper pair. The feather must be regular and
decisive, but none of the marks on the petals should break through
to the edge. The plant should be shrubby, close, and able to
bear its blooms, however profuse, without artificial support, though
his is a point the least attended to of any. There ought to be
not less than five pips in a truss.

110 THE OBBANIUM.

CHAPTER VII.

HYBBIDIZINO AND BAISING SEEDLINGS.

It is very easy to hybridize Geraniums, and no flower sports
more freely. Choose for the purpose those plants which combine
the requisites of form, size, colour, and good habit. Sara seed
only from those which possess qualities worth perpetuating. The*
mother plant should -possess form in the highest possible degree;
this is very important in ail attempts at hybridizing. The moment
the mother plant is determined on, select the most promising
flowers, and cut off the anthers before they shed their p^en, and
from the sire remove the pistils, and dust with the pollen the
moment the anthers appear ripe. Bepeat the operation so as to
insure success, but allow no insects to interfere with your work?
a close-fitting muslin cap must be used to cover the mother flower.
When the seed is ripe divest it of its awns, and keep it in a
dry cool place till spring, when sow in March, in a gentle heat.
If seed is plentiM some may be sown as soon as gathered, so
as to get stocky plants before winter; with the early-blooming
sorts this is advisable.

The best way of raising seedling Geraniums is to sow in shallow
pans or pots, well drained, in a compost of leaf-mould, peat, and sand;
or loam, sand, and rotted turf; the compost must be ^ne, rich, and
light. As soon as the seedlings appear, sprinkle over the surface
of the soil a little very dry sand and peat, as small and friable as
snuff, as a preventive of damp. If damping occurs this is the
best remedy, with either seedlings or cuttings. A little more air,
and a few degrees more heat, is another good rule against damp.

When the seedlings have made their third leaf, pot them off
singly into two-inch pots, in loam and leaf mould; keep them
near the glass, but shade from hot sun. As soon as they fill
the pots with roots, give them a shift to a size larger, and after
that grow them on in the manner already described for buds and
cuttings. They should go out of doors as soon as the weather
permits, and if the wood is well ripened, they will make bushy
strong plants, to flower the following season. Five-dnch pota are
large enough for their first flowering.

THB OEBANIUH. Ill

CHAPTER VIIL

CULTtTEB OF SPECIMEN PLANTS.

Specimen Pelargoniums are magnificent things when well grown.

The most showy sorts only should be chosen, those of robust

growth and free habit being of course the best. The plants

slioiild be struck from the jioints of good shoots in summer, and

potted off in time so as to bear a second shift before winter. In

the following April select the most promising, and shiil them into

tw^enty-four-sized, and as soon as they make a fair start stop

them, and keep them stopped at every third joint. By the last

week in May they may be turned out from the house, and have

an east or west aspect; those that have filled their pots with roots

must have another shift. They must be kept well syringed, must

never flag for want of water, and must be ftimigated if green fly

attacks them. i

By September they will be handsome promising plants; those

that require shifting must have it, for on no account must they

get pot-bound. Place them in the house, as close to the glass

as possible, give air in fine weather, and from that time to March

following keep them in as quiet a state as possible, by administering

water sparingly, and admitting as much air at all times as possible.

At the beginning of March shift the whole into blooming-pots,

sixes or eights, according to the size of the plants. In potting

make sure of good drainage, and use a compost of two parts

torfy loam, one part rotten dung, and one half part sand and

turfy peat, the whole chopped fine but not sifted. Train out the

plants for blooming, and as soon as they have made a fresh start after

the shift, begin to administer manure water to promote a splendid

show of bloom. The best for the purpose is made by steeping

one bushel of sheep or goats* dung in twenty gallons of water, or

two bushels of rotten horse dung in the same quantity of water.

Let it stand three days, and then water the plants three times

a week with it, until they show their colours, when it must be

discontinued, and the ordinary watering be resumed. When the

112 TfiB 6XBANIUM.'

plants bloom a little shade should be afforded them to preserre
their colours, but if much shaded they lose strength, and are
the worse for it afterwards. Shaw's Tiffany is the best of all
shading materials ; it breaks the intense power of the sun, while
admitting a fair share of subdued daylight.

After blooming the plants must be cut down to the last two
eyes of each leader, and be transferred to a cool frame t^ they
break again; then repot into as small pots as their roots can
be got into, and from that time cultivate as already directed.
Toung plants produce the finest Uooms, but (Ad plants are earlier,
and bloom more abundantly.

CHAPTEE IX.

GBAFTING PELABG0NIUM8.

In the culture of the Pelargonium grafting is occasionally had
recourse to, as a means of propagating kinds that are shy of
culture by other means, or for the sake of increasing the extent
of collections where space is limited, and for the obtaining oi fine
specimen plants. At the Sydenham Exhibition, in September,
1866, there was a very pretty show of grafted Geraniums, shewn
by Mr. Peed, gardener to T. Tredwell, Esq., of Norwood. The
collection consisted of Emily Fields Kingsbury Pet, Iteidii, Boule
de Niege, four feet high; Commander in Chief, five feet; Titian,
four feet; Brilliant, four feet; and Attraction, three feet six inches.
These were all grafted by cutting off the top of the stock, and
splitting the top of it into halves, and wedging the end of the
graft down into the slit.

This is an operation easily performed; indeed any one who has
ever grafted an apple on a crab stock, or who has ever seen the
process, may soon become an adept in grafting Geraniums. The
stocks should first be secured, and the best for the purpose are
summer-struck cuttings, taken from old, woody, strong plants, two
years old at least. Grow these stocks into strong, bushy, dwarf
plants; promoting their vigour by the means already pointed out
for the culture of specimens. In the ensuing summer pot them

THX GEBAVIUlf.

113

into large pots, abont a month before jon intend to graft them,
for to make the graft **take" there must be a briak flow of sap
in the stock. In the grafting first eat back the stock to a place
where the wood is just half-ripe; it must be sound and hard, but
neither green nor brown. Let the scion be in the same half-rip
state. After cutting back the stock, split it down an inch and a
half, and if you can choose a part where the stock breaks into
two branches, the fork will be just the place for letting in the graft.
Cut the graft into a clean wedge, and insert it to fit neatly bark
to bark; if this is not possible, let one side at least be well united.

Grafting Geranium.

Tbo graft tied up.

80 that when the graft ''takes" the bark will close over and complete
the union. Tie up moderately tight with worsted-thread, and paint
over with a thick coat of clay paint, to be made thus: take some
soft clay and knead it with a little water till it is of a pasty
consistency, then put it into a clean vessel with a little more water,
and work it about with an old brush till it is of the thickness
of cream, free from grit and semi-liquid. Paint the graft over
with this, and shake over it as much dry sand as will dry it
immediately. Then apply another coat, and another, drying each
with sand as soon as applied.

114 THE GESANIUM.

To secure the graft against damp it will be advisable to surronnd
it with an inch of silver-sand, not only round the grafted part,
but an inch above and an inch below; and the best way to do
this is to make a paper-frinnel, similar to a grocer's sugar-paper,
tying the close bottom of the funnel round the stock below ,the
graft, filling it with dusty peat and silver-sand, and then closing
the top over into a barrel-shape; this will be the best security
against the failure of the graft. The scion will need support for
a time. Three weeks after grafting, stop the top fsxta of the
stock, and loosen the bandage slightly; but there must be no
haste, for Geranium wood does not unite very quickly. Any
exhausting influences will of course check the union; hence it is
advisable to syringe the leaves of the scion occasionally, and to
keep the stock in a state of robust health. When they shew that
they have fairly united, and the scion begins to grow, the bandage
may be removed, and a little soft moss applied in its stead, and
in time this may come away altogether. When they make a fair
start, grow them as directed for specimen plants; and their appear-
ance, when blooming time comes, will be quite Superb. Greraniums
may be side or whip-grafted, but the wedge plan is the best,
because of the soft nature of the wood we have to deal with.

CHAPTER X.

DISEASES AND PESTS. WINTERING BEDDING STOCK.

The green fly and thrip are to be eradicated by the means
described in the treatise on the calceolaria — tobacco-smoke and
sulphur fumes, with the use of the syringe, and giving the plants
plenty of air. The more "coddled" the plants, the more they are
infested with pests of all kinds. The Geranium is subject to a
malady called "the spot;" this is a discolouration of the foliage,
to which the high-bred sorts are more liable than the old robust
varieties. Although the spot will sometimes appear when the plants
have been well treated every way, yet it will usually be found
that it is a result of damp at the roots, either from the drainage
being checked, or from an over-moist state of soil and atmosphere.

THE GEBAKIUM. 115

ctt a time when there is not snn enough to enable the plants to
t;lirow off the excess of moisture. Dryness, abundance of air, and
"^^rJiatever promotes a quiet, healthy, and hardy growth, are the
X>reyentives and the remedy; the plants affected should be cut
<iown and allowed a complete rest^ when the new growth may come
^uite healthy, though whenever **the spot" breaks out in a col-
lection, it is wise for the cultivator to secure cuttings from healthy
stock, and grow these quite apart from those that are diseased,
with a view to destroying such as prove incurable; in the mean-
time preparing plants to take their place. The too early or inor-
dinate application of manure-water will cause spot, so will too
rapid forcing, or any cause which loads the plant with crude
juices at a time when the foliage is not sufficiently active to
elaborate it.

Bedding Geraniums are used by everybody who take a
pleasure in gardening, and with many such it is a frequent
cause of anxiety how to get their plants safely through the
winter. Now though Greraniums will not bear many degrees of
frost, there is no plant which goes to rest so thoroughly if
encouraged, and hence it is not difficult to preserve them through
the winter, even without a greenhouse. In taking them up from
beds and borders in October, unleaf every plant, and pot them
in the poorest soil you can get. Then consign them to any
loft, outhouse, or spare room where they will be dry and
protected against frost.

If properly potted, or planted carefully in poor soil in a bed,
a shed, or pit, they need not have a single drop of water until
the severe frosts of February are past. They may then be re-
potted in proper soil, and have occasional exposure to warm
showers and sun when those touches of early spring surprise us,
but be housed at night, and whenever the cold winds or frosts
prevail have protection as before. A little care during the latter
part of March and through April, will bring them forward well,
and in May they may go again to their quarters in the garden.
I usually winter a large number in this way — they are potted
into wide shallow pots, half-a-dozen plants together, to save room ;
in the spring they are shaken out and potted into very small
pots; they are ready for a shift at the end of April, and finally

X16 THE QEBASIVU.

go ont in May, but if not shifted till bedding time they do yezy
well, for bedding Geraniums need only to be kept alive, for
when once they start in the open ground they grow vigorously,
and soon make a fine show. If any go black at the collar
towards February, cut off the head at once, and strike it in a
gentle bottom heat, and if you can strike a quantity of the most
promising of the ripe shoots in a^Waltonian Case or a dung pit,
the stock may be increased vastly by the beginning of June.

Cold pits suit for many kinds of bedding stock better than
for Geraniums, because of the difficulty of insuring perfect
dryness; but if kept dry, and with fair protection against frost.
Geraniums may be wintered safely without need of a greenhouse.

With a greenhouse there is nothing like Geraniums for gay
winter blooms. Struck early, and in the sun, potted early, and
as soon as the wood sets a little hard kept moderately dry, at
a temperature of from 40^ to 45^, with air on day and night
whenever the weather permits, with no late shiil to check them,
and it as easy to have a magnificent show by Christmas as it is
out of doors in July. They will really stand a brisk heat, but
it is not good for plants in the end, nor is it necessaiy; a little
calculation in good time, and keeping the plants pot-bound
towards the season when you would have them bloom, and
failure is hardly possible.

LIST OF SELECTED VAEIETIES.

TWELVE NEW SPOTTED PELARGONIUMS.

Conspicuum, (Turner,) lower petals rose, top petals rose, shaded oflf

with lilac to the margin; all five petals having a large rich velvety

spot of dark maroon. Showy and free flowering.
Spotted Grem, (Turner,) rosy lilac, with distinct dark spots on each

petal. Good habit and constant.
Queen of the Fairies, (Turner,) French white, with purple spots. Large

flower, free bloomer.
Mr. Beck, (Turner,) rose, with maroon top petals, and spot on bottom

petals. Very fine substance, but rather shy.
Mr. Hoyle, (Turner,) warm rosy pink, with maroon spots on all the

petals, shaded with bright orange. Very novel and showy.

THB aBBAKIUH. 117

Banspareil, (Hoyle,) delicate rose, white centre, crimson spot. BeautiiViI.

Triompbe de la Tour, (Odier,) rotry pnrplC) deep -veining and dark blotch.
Not vety free.

Maltifloram, (Malet,) lilac rose, Spotted and yetned with maroon.

James Odier, (Odier,) white centre^ scarlet rose, shading to riolet. Very
fine.

Etoile de Jardin, (Odier,) rose and deep crimson. A shmbby dwarf
variety.

Colonel Foissey, (Odier,) rose, veined and blotched with'crimson. Splen-
did when well bloomed.

Albira, (Hoyle.) Veiy free; forces well.

TWELVE NEW FANCY PELARGONIUMS.

Emperor, (Turner,) npper petals black, edged with white, nnder petals

white mottled with rich purple. Fine form, constant, good habit.
Carminatum, (Turner,) upper petals rich carmine, edged with white,

lower petals flesh, mottled with crimson. Rather shy.
Mrs. Colman, (Turner,) rich purple, with white throat and edges. Good

form and habit, very free bloomer.
Helen Faucit, (Turner,) upper petals dense crimson, with lilac edge,

under petals lilac, mottled with crimson. Good form.
Madame Rougiere, (Turner,) rich crimson purple, with light throat and

edges. Robust habit, quite new in colour, a good show flower.
General Pelissier, (Turner,) upper petals deep maroon, edged with lilac,

lower petals flesh, mottled with purple. An improved "Advancer."
King, (Turner,) upper petals violet crimson, lower petals flesh, mottled

with crimson. Large, and very showy.
Countess of Abingdon, (Turner,) upper petals light crimson, under petals

mottled with lilac, white throat. Not free.
Sir Joseph Paxton, (Turner,) upper petals rich purple maroon edged

with lilac, under petals light lilac, sufl'used with purple. Fine form

and substance.
Jenny Ney, (Turner,) rosy violet, with white throat and edges. A very

showy flower.
Omar Pacha, (Turner,) bright crimson. Very free and robust habit, a

good show flower.
Crimson King, (Turner,) a vivid crimson purple, with lilac centre and

edges. Very dwarf and showy; splendid for forcing.

TWELVE FIRST-CLASS OLDER FANCY PELARGONIUMS.

Beauty of Slough, (Turner,) deep bright rosy crimson, margined with
white, white centre. Fine form and substance.

118

THE OEBAl^IUM.

Brideimaid, (Turner,) delicate pale lavender, edged with white. Fine
form and habit; a fine show flower of quite a new colour.

Cloth of SiWer, (Henderson,) silvery white, with delicate rose blotch,
under petals pure white. A fine variety for exhibition.

Cassandra, (Ayres,) crimson and white. Fine form.

Celestial, (Ayres,) bright light rose. Fine.

Lady of the Lake, (Turner,) crimson, with violet lilac margin, under
petals clouded with purple. A good show flower.

Lady Hume Campbell, (Henderson,) bright scarlet crimson, lilac centre.

Madame Sontag, (Ambrose,) upper petals of a rich crimson purple,
with light margin, lower petals pencilled with lilac, the throat pure
white. A fine show flower.

Purpureum Album, (Turner,) rich purple, edged with white, white
centre. Good form and habit.

Prima Donna, (Turner,) white centre, upper petals violet purple, mar-
gined with white, lower petals pure white, spotted with purple. Of
fine form and good habit.

Queen of Koses, (Turner,) beautiful warm rose, suffused with lilac, light
edges and centre. A fine variety for exhibition.

Resplendens, (Ambrose,) crimson scarlet, with white.

TWELVE FIRST-CLASS SHOW PELARGONIUMS,

EARLT BLOOMERS.

Admirable, (Turner.)
Agnes, (Hoyle.)
Conqueror, (Beck.)
Emperor, (Beck.)
Fair Ellen, (Story.)
Governor General, (Hoyle.)

King of Scarlets, (Turner.)

Leah, (Beck.)

Lord Raglan, (Hoyle.)

Marvellous, (Hoyle.)

Review, (Hoyle.)

Viola, (Hoyle.)

TWELVE FIRST-CLASS SHOW PELARGONIUMS,

LATE BLOOMERS.

Bianca, (Hoyle.) The finest white.

Beatrice, (Hoyle.)

Eugenie, (Hoyle.)

Floretta, (Hoyle.)

Gem of tlie West, (Fuller,)

General Williams, (Tunier.^

Matilda, (Hoyle.)
Phaeton, (Hoyle,) <

Prince of Pruseia, (Turner.)
Saracen, (Foster.)
Standard, (Hoyle.)
Symmetry, (Foster.)

THE OSRANIUH. "'^'^

SIX NEW VARIEGATED-LEAVED GERANIUMS

OF FIRST CLASS.

Alma, (Turner.) An improvement on Flower of the Day, very white

margin, and good trusses of scarlet flowers.
Culford Beauty, (Grieyes,) rich sulphur edging, good trusses of orange

scarlet blossoms. A fine variety for edgings and vases.
Hotel de Cluny, (Elphinstone,) silver margin, with some red bordering

the green part of the leaf, flower bright cerise, with white eye. An

improvement on Lee's Attraction.
Fontainbleau, (Elphinstone,) large foliage, centre green, rosy red circle

and white margin, fine trusses of cerise pink. Quite a novelty.
Lady of Loretto, (Elphinstone,) centre of leaf pale green, with zone of

brown red, flower bright cerise, with white eye.
Silver Queen. An improved Lucia Rosea; very effective as an edging

to beds, and by comparison with many of the best variegated sorts,

it cnrries thft day for boldness of character.

FOURTEEN FIRST-CLASS OLDER VARIETIES.

Attraction, (Einghorn.)

Annie, (Kinghom.) An imprpvement on Silver King,' with bright scarlet

flowers.
Brilliant, (Osborn.) A very free-blooming deep scarlet variety.
Countess of Warwick, (Kinghom,) dark horse-shoe foliage with white

margin.
Dandy. A dwarf-growing snialMcavcd variety for edges of beds.
Fairy Nymph. An improvement on Mrs. Lennox.
Flower of the Day.
Golden Chain.

Lady Cottenham, gold foliage
Mountain of Light.

Mountain of Snow, large foliage, with broad white margin.
Mrs. Lennox.
Mangles' Variegated.
Vflripcflfpri Tom Tbnmi) f vceedingly dwarf habit, and very free bloomer.

120 THE OEBAIflUM.

TWEXTY-FOUR OP THE BEST
SCARLET AND HORSE-SHOE GERANIUMS.

Attraction, bright scarlet, good shape and very lai^e truss, dwarf habit,

and a most profuse bloomer. First-rate for bedding.
Amazon, a strong grower, with large globular truss.
Baron Hugel, (or Princess Royal,) very dwarf, with horse-shoe foliage,

bright scarlet flowers, with a white centre.
Bishopstowe Scarlet, dark scarlet.
Compcujtum. Splendid bedder.
Commander-in-Chief, orange scarlet. Fine.
Dazzle, bright scarlet. Fine.
Eclipse, (Perry,) compact habit and fine form, producing large trusses

of bright scarlet flowers, with a clear white eye.
Emperor Napoleon, a good dwarf scarlet variety.
Fleming's Orange Scarlet.
General Simpson, (Speed,) brilliant orange scarlet, with large white eye»

fine shape, large truss, and a dense bloomer. An exeellent bedding

variety.
Greneral Pellssier, (Kinghom,) a fine variety, large trusses of orange

scarlet flowers, with variegated footstalks.
Glow-worm, a bright scarlet, of Tom Thumb habit, but better.
Judy, pale salmoji scarlet. Fine.
Koh-i-Noor, bright scarlet. Fine.
King of Scarlets, bright scarlet. Very fine.
Lady Downes, (Turner,) rosy carmine, good shape, and large truss.

An abundant bloomer, of dwarf habit, and a capital variety for

bedding. Quite distinct.
Lord Raglan, deep orange scarlet.
Life-Guardsman, dark scarlet, white centre, good truss.
Rosy Morn, (Turner,) deep cerise, with horse-shoe foliage, good form

and truss. Fine.
Royal Dwarf. One of the very best for bedding, very large truss, fine

bloomer, dwarf habit.
Spitfire, (Turner,) brilliant scarlet, fine form, and deeply-marked horse-
shoe foliage. Very dwarf and distinct.
Sutton's Scarlet Perfection. Capital for bedding.
Tom Thumb. A well-known sort; market growers sell many inferior

varieties under this name.

GARDEN FAVOURITES.

THE

ROSE:

ITS

HISTORY, PROPERTIES, CULTIVATION,
PROPAGATION, AND GENERAL MANAGEMENT

IN ALL SEASONS.

BY SHIRLEY HIBBERD,

Author of "Rustic Adornments for Homes of Taste," ete.

"The Taried colours run, and while they break
On the charm'd eye, the exulting florist marks
With secret pride the wonder of his hand.

• • • •

Infinite numbers, delicacies, smells.
With hues on hues expression cannot paint,
The breath of nature, and her endless bloom."

LONDON:

GROOMBRIDGE AND SONS, PATEENOSTEE EOW.

M DCCC LVII.

THE EOSE.

CHAPTEE I.

"Thkre*b a bower of Rosea by Bendemeer's stream,

And the nightingale sings to it all the day long;
In the time of my childhood 'twas like a sweet dream

To sit in the Boses and hear the birds' song.
That bower and its music I never forget,

But oft when alone in the bloom of the year,
I think— is the nightingale singing there yet!

Are the roses still bright by the calm BendemeerT
No, the roses soon withered that hung o'er the wave,

But some blossoms were gathered while freshly they shone,
And a dew was distilled from their flowers, that gave

All the fragrance of summer, when summer was gone."

KOOBS.

BOSE LOBE.

High summer, and nature holding a truce with the elements!
High summer, and every form of life in full perfection, while mother
earth presides at her annual feast of flowers. High summer, and
man happy in the midst of umbrage, where the air creeps in
softly, cooled in filtering through the leafiness, and made odorous
with the breathings of bloom and greenness everywhere. High
summer, and the sun exalted to his highest in the heavens, —
emblem to mortal eye of the Invisible Dispenser of every seasonal
blessing; — the meadows dotted with odorous haycocks, the wheat-
fields rolling in billows to every gust, as if the green ocean had
usurped the land, and brought upon its shining foam vast promises

122 THE BOSE.

of plenty; the mossy woodside, the sandy waste, the dark forest,
and the shrubby hedge-row, all spangled as with stars

*'That in earth's firmament do shine."

This is the Carnival of flowers; the bramble is in its prime of
blossom, and the Wild Rose — chief in the coronal of summer —
is glorious in its lust of bloom and wealth of fragrance. Its very
name is poetry, its history a romance.

When the sunbeams shone with a warmer glow, ,

And the honied bells were sipped by the bee,

Could the woodlands a lovelier garland show
Than the wreath that hung on the wild-briar tree.

Tlie Eose is Queen of flowers, the emblem of beauty in its
highest developments, the sign and type of summer, yet known
to every season, and almost every clime. It is the special pet of
the poet, and has helped inspired bards to many noble tropes and
fine comparisons. It has always been a symbolic flower; in the
East it has been made the representative of virtue and loveliness;
the half-expanded Kose-bud was the type of love dawning in its
first sweet promise, and the full-blown flower was an emblem of
the ripened passion which makes the heart a shrine consecrate to
every patriotic and domestic virtue. With the Egyptians it was
a symbol of silence, and Harpocrates was crowned with a garland
of its blossoms. The Greeks wove it in their nuptial and funeral
garlands, and in the chaplets of the magistrates; and Psestum
suggested many a noble lay and dazzling metaphor to the classic
writers who were familiar with its roses — the most famous of any
in the world. In the profuse use of flowers by the Romans, the
Hose was highly prized. No banquet was complete unless flowers
formed a special feature of the feast; thus Horace —

"Here let the Rose and lily shed

Their short-lived bloom; let parsley spread

Its living verdure o'er the feast,

And crown with mingled sweets the guest.

Lib I., 36.

And again in an ode to Dellius: —

THE B08B. 123

*'BiBm pour your wines, your odours shed,
Bring forth the Rose's short-lived flower,
While fate yet spins thy mortal thread,
While youth and fortune give the indulgent hour.**

Indeed for every procession they strewed the streets with flowers;

the peasantry went garlanded to every festival, and we may be

sore the Bose was chief among the fragrant trappings with which

those old flower-loving heathens so frequently adorned themselves.

^his use of the Bose as an accompaniment of feasts, gave rise

to the saying "under the Kose;" they who wore it during convivial

^'onverse pledging their faith that what was said sub rosa, should

"£fo no farther." It is from this that the German custom of

P^ting a Sose on the ceiling over the dining-table arose. Appe-

^tos, in "Lingua," a comedy of 1667, says, "Crown me with no

^^Wn but Bacchus' crown of Hoses.'*

1*1x6 dedication of the Bose to Harpocrates by Cupid, is described
^ the old epigram —

"Est rosa flos veneris, cujas quo facta laterent.

Harpocrati matris dona, dicavit amor.
Inde rosam mensis hospes suspendit amicis;
Gonviva ut suh dicta, tacenda sdat.**

l^^ewton, in the "Herbal to the Bible," 1578, says of the con-

^^^iiance of this custom, "they use in parlours and dining-rooms

^ hang Boses over their tables, to put the companie in memorie

^f seorecie, and not rashly or indiscreetly to clatter and blab out

^hat they hear — ^protesting that all was spoken under the Sose,"

But the Bose was not devoted to festive uses alone; the ancients

pinzed it as a funeral flower, for in old times the graves of loved

Ones were decked with all manner of sweet herbs and flowery

garlands, nor could the manes be gratified but by such delicate

oblations. Thus both Sophocles and Euripides make Electra weep

that her father's tomb had no libations, and no garlands.

.tt

Nor with myrtle boughs

Were my dear father's manes gratify'd.*'

£uRiPiDBS— Elbct&a.

124 TBI BOSS.

Indeed Anacreon makes the comfort of the dead in the grave
dependant on the presence of the Kose upon it: —

"When age and vigour do decay,
The Rose their strength repairs;
It drives all maladies awaj.
And aan prolong onr years.

The dead, too, in their graves do lie

With peaceful slumbers blest;
This is the amulet, hereby

No ills their tombs molest.'*

It is worth remembering that the tomb of Achilles was decorated
with amaranth, the urn of Philopsemen with chaplets, and the
tomb of Sophocles was garlanded with ivy and Eoaes, for the
beautiful epitaph by Simonides asserts as much: —

"Wind, gentle evergreen, to form a shade
Around the tomb where Sophocles is laid;
Sweet ivy, wind thy boughs, and intertwine
With blushing roses and the clustering vine.
Thus will thy lasting leaves with beauty long
Prove grateftil emblems of the lays he sung.**

Homer, Euripides, Virgil, and Milton, were all enamoured of
the Hose. Vitruvius considered it the best ornament for a Corinthian
capital, and the temple of Solomon was decked with a profusion
of flowers cut in cedar wood, and the sarcophagi of the kings of
Judea were adorned with foliage and flower-work, in imitation of
the indigenous plants of Palestine. When the body of Hector is
about to be disgraced. Homer makes Venus forbid the act, and
shed over him "roseate unguents." Milton boldly compares a
solemn sound to a perfume: —

"A solemn breathing sound

Rose like a stream of rich distill*d perfumes.
And stole upon the air."

But while Homer dealt severely with such enervating agents as
perfumes, not allowing them to any of his heroes but the efleminate
Paris, Virgil associates them with heroic acts, and makes ^neas
sprinkle his father's grave with purple flowers: —

THB BOSS. 126

**MaeaB then advanced amid the traia.
By thousands followed through the flowery plain,
To great Anchis*s tomh; which, when he found.
He poured to Bacchus, on the hallowed ground.
Two bowls of sparkling wine, of milk two more,
And two (from offered bulls) of purple gore.
With Roses then the sepulchre he strewed.
And thus his father's ghost bespoke aloud.**

JBmkas v.

It is not surprising that a custom so highly poetical should
have survived to this day. In our new and beautiful cemeteries,
which truly merit the G-erman appellation of "Grod's acre," compared
with the old crowded town churchyards where it seemed a sacrilege
to place the dead, we do but perpetuate a highly classic usage in
our free use of flowers. The Christian fathers enjoined the decora-
tion of graves as a duty; crowns of snow-white flowers were placed
upon the graves of virgins, and upon those of wives and husbands,
baskets of lilies, violets, and roses. In many of the villages of
Derbyshire, the primitive custom still prevails of suspending wreaths
of white Roses in the churches, over the pews of unmarried villagers
who died in their youth; and in not a few quiet hamlets of green
England are Roses still carried with rosemary, yew, and sweet-
smelling herbs, in funeral processions; and while the pallid face
still rests on the bier waiting for burial, the cold hands are made
to clasp such touching emblems of the fleetness of life and the
sure resurrection, which after the winter of the grave, shall break
like spring upon the body glorified. —

'*The cold flowers her colder hand contained.

In that last grasp so tenderly were strained.
As if she scarcely felt, but feigned a sleep,
And made it almost mockeiy to weep."

Then what stories of love, hope, and weeping, can the E/Ose
relate to us. Who does not remember the fatal E/Oses of York
and Lancaster, and Stuart, with a joyful heaving of the heart,
at the thought that civil war and anarchy are now impossible in
Britain, for its bonny hedge-rows and its fruitful gardens, where
the Eose is the presiding grace, represent the heartiness of iti
people, the wealthiness of its institutions, and, old aa it is, ite ever-

126 THB BOSS.

gpreen youth in the growth of liberty, wealth, and intelligence.
May the Hose of Ei^oland — Queen, Wife, Mother — continue to
flourish in the sunshine of a long prosperity, reverenced by the
world, blessed with the grace of God, and assured of the homage
of a loyal and a loving people. Though it is Old England, the
strength of youth survives in it, for

We own a God who gnards this hallowed ground
Bulwarked with martyrs' bones, where fear was never found.

Every nation has its Bose memorials. The Persians — ^masters of
flower lore — ^have many pretty legends in which this their favourite
flower plays chief part, of which here are three of the best: —

*'As this dark mould sends upward and out of its very heart
the rare Persian Bose, so does hope grow out of evil; and the
darker the evil the brighter the hope, as from a richer and fouler
soil comes the more vigorous and larger flower." * * * "A
traveller, in passing through a country in Persia, chanced to take
into his hand a piece of clay which lay by the wayside, and to his
surprise he found it to exhale the most delightful fragrance. 'Thou
art but a poor piece of clay,' said he, 'an unsightly, unattractive,
poor piece of clay; yet how fragrant art thou! how refreshing! I
admire thee, I love thee; thou shalt be my companion; I will
carry thee in my bosom! But whence hast thou this fragrance?'
The clay replied, 'I have been dwelling with the Eose!' " Another
Persian legend represents the slave Sadi presenting his master with
a Rose, saying, "Do good to thy servant whilst thou hast the
power, for the season of power is often as transient as the duration
of this beautiful flower." Whereupon the heart of his lord was
melted to compassion, and the slave obtained his liberty.

If bliss be a frail and perishing flower

Born only to decay;
Oh! who, when it blooms but a single hour,

Would fling its sweets away.

But we must leave unsaid a hundred things that might be said
about Hose festivals, and Clemence Isuare and her gay societie,
and the various legends that attach to the uses of the Bose in
heraldry. After all, the culture of it is our chief matter now,

THE BOSE. 127

and we sliall close tliis chapter, too short for the subject, but too
long for the book, with one of Leigh Hunt's prettiest of flower
songg, which may be new to some, certainly welcome to every
reader:—

**We are blushing Roses
Bending with our fulness,
'Midst our close-capped sister buds
Wanning the green coolness.

Whatsoe'er of beauty

Teams and yet reposes,
Blush, and bosom, and sweet breath,

Took a shape in Roses.

Hold one of us lightly,—

See firom what a slender
Stalk we bower in heavy blooms.

And roundness rich and tender.

Know you not our only

Rival flower— the human!
Loveliest wight on lightest foot,

Joy-abundant woman."

CHAPTEE II.

Wild Rose, Sweet Briar, Eglantine,
All these pretty names are mine;
And scent in every leaf is mine;
And a leaf for all is mine;
And the scent— Oh! that's divine!
Happy sweet, and pungent fine.
Pure as dew, and pick'd as wine.

Leioh Hunt.

THE BOTANIST AMONG THE BOSES.

BosES have a special interest for the botanist. The order
Rosacea, of which the Eose is the type, is one of the most
important in the natural system, and in the system of nature
too it is equally important. In its economic aspect it stands
parallel with Oraminea, or the grass family, for while the last

proride putore and bread, the great necewitdet of it&ple food,
the Bo«M fiimiih the most noted and moct delicioua froita, to
complete the banqnet set before man by his menafnl and pror-
ident Father. If we take a wild Bose, and notice the disposiliQn
of its five petals, and the five sepals that form the green cap
of the flower; and on pulling it to pieces obaerre how the
receptacle is dilated bo u to form a lining to the lower part of
the calyx; the ovary being filled with hard pips of a wholesome
character, we are ready to nndeiBtand how it is that botanists
group with the Boss many of our most noted froits. Take the

blossom of the bramble, and you will find that it ia in every
respect a Bosej the points of difference, though slight, are
rather conliiied to the production of the fruit titan the flower.
The Bftine with the strawberry, raspberry, apple, pear, cherryj
plum, apricot, peach, and almond. How close as to structure
and ((ciicral character is the resemblance between the wild Bose,
with its gauzy blossom and orange-red hips, and the hawthorn,
with its frajjrant white blooms and coral haws. Eiamine the
individual flower of each, and yoD see at once that they are allied
in make and fashion, and are close relatives. The same with the
pretty tormenlil, the potentilla, the herb Bennett; and numerous
and diOorent as are the members of the family, tbe difference

THX B08B. 129

M ohieflj 80 to tlie mode in wliich the seed is produced.

In the Bose, the pitcher-shaped part of the calyx becomes

^ iiip, which forms a covering to the bony carpels, which

Ai% enveloped in down. In the strawberry the mere expansion

of the receptacle after the fading of the corolla forms the

datable froit, and similar bony carpels are produced; while

^ the raspberry the receptacle becomes elevated into what is

^''^Ued a toms, and the carpels upon it become the pulpy pips

^hich form the fruit, which, when separated firom the stalk,

leaves the receptacle firmly attached, with the calyx at its base.

-«^hus our first of garden favourites is well-connected, and the

^niily ties of its kindred are readily discernible— is not an

^Pple blossom, just opening, one of the most delicately-tinted,

^^atly-formed Boses that a tasteful eye can contemplate — ^the

^•Unes may indeed drink May dew from such a cup as that.

The true Eoses form the first tribe in the great order Rosacem;
^der the name of Rosea. The tribe contains but two genera,
^o«a and Lowea, the latter containing only what was formerly
E^ed Rosa berberifolia, and which was made into a separate
^nus on account of its simple leaves, without stipules and
^^'anched prickles. There are more than two hundred species,
tld the manipulations of the florist have multiplied these into
b.ousands of varieties; yet the botanical characteristics remain
EXtact; the most doubled flowers retain many of their original
lements; the very distinct foliage of all kinds of Boses is easily
ecognisable; the sets of pinnate leaves, ending with an odd one,
tud the leaves being furnished with stipules. The prickles on
•lie stem of a Bose illustrate the difference between thorns and
Driars — in the briar they are articulated, and when removed the
Dark is not wounded, a mere scar marking the place of the
removed prickle; but a thorn proceeds from the true wood, and
Its removal causes a wound.

In the "Flora of the Colosseum," * by Dr. Deakin, only one
species, R, sempervirens, the Evergreen Bose, is noted as being
found on those remarkable ruins, and on this species Dr. Deakin

• This is an extraordinary work, containing illustrations and descriptions of four
hundred and twenty plants found growing spontaneously upon the ruins of the Col-
osseum of Rome. It is full of anecdote, and bright with scholastic iwlish.

130 THB BOSE.

says: — "From the account of Pliny, it appears Boses were es-
teemed, and considerably cultivated by the ancient Itomans. He
mentions several sorts of those which are fragrant, and others
that are inodorous; and he gives some hints as to the nature
of the soil best suited for them, and the mode of their cultivation.
But now the modem Eomans seem to pay less attention to
their cultivation; for though long formal garden-walks are com-
monly planted with hedge-rows or screens of Eose trees, it is
mostly only the common China Eose which is planted. The
shrubs of the various species of Eoses vary in size from a few
inches to many feet long; the flowers vary in colour from red
to every shade of pink and purple, yellow and white, or striped;
and they are simple, semi-double, or double. The medical
properties which they possess is that of a slight tonic and
astringent; but it is on account of the beauty of the flowers,
and the delicate odour which they exhale, that the Eose is, and
from the earliest period has been, held in the highest esteem."
What a contrast to its former magnificence, where luxury held
its cruel festivals, the Wild Sose takes possession, and makes
holy ground of the marble that has been stained with a thousand
iniquities!

Cypress and ivy, weed and wallflower grown
Matted and massed together; hillocks heaped
On what were chambers; arch crushed, column strewn
In fragments; choked-up vaults; and frescoes steeped
In subterranean damps, where the owl peeped.
Deeming it midnight :— temples, baths, or halls?
Pronounce who can; for all that learning reaped
From the research, hath been, that these are walls —
Behold the Imperial City I— Thus the Mighty falls.

THB BOSS. 131

CHAPTEE III.

Thk Rose is fairest when 'tis budding new,
And hope is brightest when it dawns from fears;

The Rose is sweetest wash'd with morning dew,
And loTe is loveliest when embalm'd in tears.

Scott.

GEKESAL NOTES ON CrLTIVATION, SOIL, PLANTING, AND

SECRETS OF SUCCESS.

Bow many folks fail in their efforts at "Rose culture! How

^^ are made out, soil prepared, and all the preliminaries settled

^m the paying to the planting, and yet they will "go off,"

***d just at the season they are most wanted horrid gaps occur,

*^d a whole season's show is marred, and no one can tell the

'^^^son why. Well; the choicest pleasures are dashed with occasional

P^ons, the higher you aim the greater the risk of missing the

*^^rk, and if you really want Hoses you must go the right way

^^ work, for they are just the things that refuse to be cultivated

^^^yhow.

This chapter is to deal with ordinary Eose culture, but with

^tDne of the operations involved in propagation, budding, or

^^lecting Eposes, and it supposes the cultivator to be already in

Possession of his plants, whether on their own roots or on stocks,

^Oid simply desiring to know how to plant, preserve, and bloom

tilem bravely. Boses are now and will be for some time to

^iome in their full lustre; now make your choice at the nurseries,

t;aking the nurseryman's advice as to the sorts that will suit

^our soil, situation, space, and means, but using your own judgment

as to the sorts that please you. Let lists be ever so complete or

discriminate, there is nothing like seeing the plants in bloom,

that you purpose to become possessed of. Then how will you

plant them, and in what sort of soilP Let us consider.

The Eose is as luxuriant in its habits as in its beauty. It

132 THE ROSE.

will not be starved, and it will disdain shabby treatment of
every kind. It thrives in greatest perfection on a deep, strong,
well-drained loam, and that must be liberally enriched witli
thoroughly-decayed manure. As the Eose is somewhat of a
gross feeder, any of the stronger manures may be advantageously
employed in its cultivation, pigs' dung, night soil, super-phosphate
of lime, and stable dung, but fresh manure of any kind ruins
it speedily. The dung must be well rotted and perfectly sweet,
and it must be thoroughly incorporated with the soil before the
Soses are planted. But it does not follow that even if the
soil of the garden is a deep strong loam, that therefore Eoses
are sure to succeed on it. Leaving out the questions of aspect
and climate, it is more a matter of actual experience than cal-
culation, as to whether Roses will flourish in any particular
spot, however well the soil may appear fitted for them. The
Hoses must be tried on the soil, and until actual experienoe
has proved its fitness for them, choice expensive kinds should
not be planted in it. This point, however, is not often a diffi-
cult one to settle, for the mere observation of the condition
of Eoses in neighbouring grounds where the soil is of the same
character, will generally determine what may or may not be
done; but the fact should not be lost sight of, that there is
no mode of prejudging by the mere texture, depth or character
of the soil, even in conjunction with climate and situation, to
what extent the spot is adapted for Eose culture.

But supposing that you possess a deep strong loam, the first
point is to ascertain the state of the drainage. Though Eoses
are as fond of water as any of the choice garden plants we
have, they will not endure to have it stagnate about them. The
continuous winter rains lodging in a tenacious soil ruin them at
the root, and devastate the collection; and unless there is a good
natural drainage, means must be artificially devised for carrying
ofi* quickly all superfluous moisture. In laying out a Eosary
the proper drainage of the soil would be the first consideration,
and an efficient arrangement of drain-pipes would be the best
mode of effecting it, unless, as just remarked, the sub-soil was
of a character such as to render artificial drainage unnecessary.
In growing them on a small scale in beds and borders, it

THE E08E. 133

would be as well to take out the soil three feet deep, then to
lay down one foot of building rubbish, and above that two feet
of soil for the roots; the most copious waterings and the
heaviest rains would then be attended with no danger.

Supposing the soil to be unsuitable, there would be great
caution necessary in making the selection, and however carefuDy
the selection may be made, it will still be necessary to improve the
soil by any means available. The top spit of a pasture, espe-
cially of a loam inclining to clay, would be just the thing to cart
into the compost yard, and lay up for Roses. If turned once
or twice for a season, and then incorporated with a liberal
allowance of well-rotted stable dung, or the clearings from
cucumber and melon pits, or with dung from a sheep-walk,
gathered six months previously, it would form an admirable
material in which to cultivate Roses. This would have to be
used according to the nature of the land requiring improvement.
On a son imfit for Hoses, merely because exhausted and poor, a
layer of six inches turned in would perhaps be sufficient,
especially if every year afterwards the plants had a dressing of
dung; or if a few E/Oses were wanted on a lawn in a soil too
lean or hungry for them, holes might be dug two feet deep
and two feet across, and filled up with such soil, and the
Boses planted in them. In any case the soil ought to be
brought to such a condition as to be fit to grow wheat or hops,
and a good wheat soil is the very stuff in which Roses are
pretty sure to delight themselves and their proprietors.

When the utmost has been done to improve the soil, it may
still be quite unsuitable for many of the choicer kinds, and
where there is any reasonable cause for doubt it would be rash
to plant extensively, and especially with expensive sorts — in fact
it is not possible to decide to what extent Roses may be grown
on even the best soils until the thing has been tried, and
therefore on one which bears the appearance of unfitness, let
actual experiment determine before you risk much in the ad-
venture. Many Roses will make a good start in soils quite
unfit for them, and when the first flush of youth is over they
go off, and become worthless, or die outright; and on the best
of soils for general purposes there are some sorts that refuse to

134

THS B08B.

make themsekes "at home." Where OUnre de Rosamene does well,
you are pretty sure to find that La Seine turns consumptive,
and vice versd, Mrs. Elliott is another that you cannot make
sure of at all times let the soil be what it may; nevertheless,
in spite of such exceptional cases, those who love Eoses should
take heart and wise counsel, and persevere cautiously, and there
are but few spots in the whole area of the British Isles, where
skill and patience will not succeed.

In the planting of a dry sand with Eoses, those worked on
Doff Hose stocks are pretty sure to fail, for the Dog Eoae
demands a cool, moist, rich loam; sand or any kind of loose
shifting soil it abominates. Here it is that Eoses on their own
roots prove especially valuable, though the old Cabbage and
Moss Eoses, whether on their own roots or worked, are sure to
fail in it. Hybrid pcrpetuals on their own roots are very accom-
modatiug, and when an uncongenial soil has been made the best
of, those are the Eoses to risk upon it. Indeed, wherever there
is a doubt about the suitability of a soil, Eoses on their own
roots are to be preferred, for those that are worked are in an
artificial condition, and less able to battle with adverse influences
than such as from head to foot are "all of a piece," and carry
their sap in continuous currents, the warfare between stocks and
inserted buds being often greater than appears for a time, and
even if trifling and of no moment when all external influences
are favourable, every unfavourable circumstance aggravates it,
and a bad soil most of all.

The other extreme of a heavy, wet clay bottom, is to be met
by an opposite practice in planting. Dog Eoses bear the effects
of a wet bottom better than choice Eoses on their own roots,
and if worked with strong-growing Eoses that otherwise would
not survive on such a soil, the strength of the stock and its
love of moisture will enable them to endure it; and Cabbage
Eoses on their own roots will be the best kinds for dwarfs,
because they also can fight against stagnant water better than
most other kinds. Still, if you want Eoses to flourish and to
last, you must secure the best possible drainage, and provide two
feet of rich, strong, hearty loam for every Eose root you intend
to plant; they like to bite the ground firmly; they like good

THE B08E. 135

4

liTing, as all showy people do; and the only royal road to the
Sosary is in securing as far as possible the conditions which
experience {H:K>ves to be requisite.

As to situation. Eposes do not bear exposure well; they like
shelter and sunshine. A south-east aspect is the best; at all
events they must be protected from the cutting east blasts that
tell so severely against vegetation of all kinds in early spring.
In open grounds, beech, yew, or hornbeam hedges are good
screens, but they do not bear the drip of trees well, and need
a full circulation of air about them to keep them healthy.

The best season for planting is the early part of November,
but when it is not convenient to plant then, they may be safely
put in as late as March. I have frequently moved Soses late
in April, and have had them break well at the beginning of
Jane, and get hearty in time to be gay all through the autumn;
but there is nothing like early planting; it is the only safe course;
aad whenever planted, they should be kept out of the ground
u short a time as possible. Quarter-day has a good deal to do
with gardening matters, and the wise gardener, when "on the
move/* fixes on Michaelmas as the safest season for the trans-
ference of his stock. At that time Eoses of all kinds may be
^nsplanted safely, even though full of leaf and covered with
bloom ; but they should be first pruned in closely, and the branches
that remain should be disleafed. I have seen Eoses moved at the
end of August, being first pruned and stripped bare, and do
Well, but November is the season; every week before or after
that time is too soon or too late for the insurance of a good
Result.

When Roses are ordered from a nursery, everything should be
^eady for their proper planting as soon as they come to hand.
If they have been some time out of the ground, make a puddle
of earth and water, of the consistence of paint, and as you unpack
them dip each root into the puddle, and plant immediately. You
will, of course, have already determined how they "are to be arranged
in the ground. In a long narrow border, the tallest standards will
form the back row, the next size will stand before them, the half-
standards before those again, and the dwarfs in front of all.
Choose a fine day for planting, if possible, the drier the groimd

M

136 TH£ BOSS.

the better; if the soil is loamy, manure it well, if otherwise, make
holes two feet deep for every plant, and fill each hole with two-
thirds turfy loam, well chopped up with one-third rotten dung,
(previously prepared for the purpose, of course,) and plant io
that. Eoses on their own roots like the soil a little lighter;
the China and Tea-scented Eoses especially prefer a soil a shade
lighter than would be best for other sorts.

In planting, examine the roots carefully, and remove all suckers,
and cut away with a clean sharp knife every portion of root which
has been injured, and, above all things, do not plant them ao
inch deeper than they were before; the more the roots can Im
kept near the surface the better. If all things are well done,
the Eoses will flourish for many years without need of change
of soil; but, with the greatest care, sometimes dwarf Bourbons
Tea-scented varieties, and China Eoses will fall back and gel
unhealthy, when the only remedy is to take them up in l^o
vember, shake all the old soil off them, and re-plant in fresl
compost, after searching the roots well, and cutting away al
suckers and decayed portions. If any grow too vigorously
root-pruning may be adopted. Take a sharp spade, and cu
clean down all round and under the plant in a circle eighteei
inches from the stem, and reduce slightly the annual dressing o
manure.

Early in spring, just as the Eoses begin to break, fork ove
the surface, and remove the top-soil round each plant, and la]
down a thin layer of manure as a top-dressing, over which drav
the soil that was removed to make room for it. Most perpetual
will be benefitted by another similar dressing immediately afte
the first bloom is over; and if the weather should be dry, tw«
or three good waterings should be given, to carry the solubl
parts of the manure down to the roots. Ar^'here it is not conve
nient to give such a dressing, as on lawns for instance, liquL
manure should be used a Httle stronger and more frequently jus
after the first bl(5om, but weaker and continuously till the middl
of August. At the time of planting, every Eose of two feet hig]
and upwards should be secured to a stake.

THB B09E. 137

CHAPTER IV.

**Stiu. are thy green leaves whispering
Low sounds to fancy's ear, that tell
Of mominRS when the wild bee's wing
Shook dew-drops from thy sparkling cell!

In April's bower thy sweets are breath'd,
And June beholds thy blossoms fair;

In Autumn's chaplet thou art wreath'd.
And round December's forehead bare."

Anstbk.

PRUNING, DISBUDDING, AND SEASONAL MANAGBMENT.

Many who grow Eoses, and who bud and graft them, and
know their minutest differences of character, are yet very nervous
when they come to the pruning, and too often a jobbiug gardener,
who prunes all things alike, &om a grape vine to a gooseberry
bush, is called in to hack them at his pleasure, and so they are
all cut in alike, or nearly so, to three buds and three leaders
apiece. I would urge the amateur grower of lioses to practise
every minutisB of cultivation, for, except the trenching and manuring
in the first instance, there is not a single manipulation in Rose
culture but affords recreation in which a lady or gentleman may
take delight; then how pleasing the remembrance of our efforts,
when the results are all before us, and every blossom breathes
its thanks for the skill and care which have helped it into bloom.
Pruning is the most important matter we have to deal with in
the general management of Roses; it is very easy to make mistakes,
and it needs patient experience to acquire skill in the use of
the pruning-knife.

Any one who takes note of the varying habits of Roses, and
the manner in which they produce their bloom, will soon acquire,
as if by instinct, a clear insight into the art of pruning. Sup- •
posing, in the first place, that you have young plants from the
nursery in the first year of planting, you must prune them very
cloje to induce equal growth and the formation of neal VsviaV^

138 THB BOSS.

Leads. Almost all kinds, the first season, require shortening to
two or three buds, and the buds left should be those that are
well placed for the summer growth, having an outward direction,
and as symmetrically placed in situation to each other as possible.
All weak and unnecessary shoots should be removed, and the
head left open, and with its remaining buds so placed that the
summer growth will be regular and close, spreading from the
centre. The reason why Boses are not pruned in winter, as
many trees and shrubs are, is, that pruning hastens the breaking
of the buds left, and if these break too early, they are apt to
suffer from frosts, and the plants are for a long time weakened,
and the blooms come late and poor; hence autumn and spring
are the principal seasons for such work.

As the spring growth proceeds, the cultivator must occasionally
look over the stock for the purpose of disbudding such as require
it. Every bud or shoot not taking a proper direction should be
rubbed off as soon as it appears, and if shoots cross each other,
or make way into the centre of the plant, they should be cut
close off, and the well-placed shoots will grow all the more
rigorously, and the blooms be finer and more abundant.

In the spring-pruning of established Roses, the first thing
necessary is to thin out from the head all the small and un-
ripened shoots, and such as have grown irregularly, leaving the
strongest at equal distances from each other; the shoots of strong-
growing sorts may be thinned to four or five inches apart, and
the best shoots left from six to twelve inches long, according to
the age of the plant, its habit of growth, and the strength of
the shoots cut in. The weaker the shoot, the closer it must be
cut, and the weaker the plant, the fewer shoots must be left to
consume its sap; and every cut should be made back to a strong
well -placed bud. The shoots that are entirely removed must be
cut clean away at their base, and the wound will heal over during
the summer. February and March are the seasons for the spring
pruning, and the more tender the variety, the later must the
prunintT take place. Tea-scented, China, Noisettes, and Bourbons
must b3 deferred till April; but French, Moss, and Provence may
he pruned early; Hybrid Perpetual and Hybrid Bourbon next;
and the tender kinds last of all.

THS B06E. 139

The summer pmniDg mnst be done cautiously, for severe pruning

At s season when the sap flows freely and abundantly, will give

such a shoek to the plants as to cause them to throw up suckers

or joints from the stock below the head, in an efibrt to get rid

of the superfluous sap thrown upon the root by a too sudden

remoral of growing branches. Suppose some of them produce

'ong rods disproportionate to the character of the tree — a thing

that will frequently happen to vigorous plants in good ground

—it would be unwise to cut such branches close ofl^, but you

nuij nip out the points of such shoots, and let them remain till

Autumn, and then cut them clean off. If the growth is regular

AQd crowded, thin out at once such shoots as seem superfluous,

cutting them clean to the base, but do not stop any of those

'©ft, or they will be likely to throw out a good deal of side-spray

^^at will soon cause the trees to be as crowded as before, and

^^eside that, the next season's blooming will be prejudiced.

We come now to autumn pruning. This must be performed

^tl a regular business-like manner; it is to be no mere trimming

^d shaping up, as much of the summer pruning is, but a definite

^djoatment of the wood that is to remain for the next spring's

^ro?rth. All Summer Eoses, as the Moss, French, Provence,

^Uid Damask, must be regularly thinned out, and, according to

the character of each variety, the shoots should have from four to

^u: eyes each. Most of the French Eoses are strong growers,

«ad frequently make long rods that are green and pithy, which

ahoald be cut clean out, and the remainder of those best ripened

to a foot or more, according to their strength. Perpetuals, whether

X)ama8k, Hybrid, or Moss, should have a third of the shoots cut

clean away, and the rest shortened to four or Ave eyes ; the shoots

removed should be those that are ill-placed, weakly, or of too

rampant a growth for preserving the general symmetry of the

head. A few of the early-blooming and hardiest varieties may

be pruned as late as November, and they will bloom a week

earlier than those pruned in spring.

There are many Eoses, however, which require special tact in
pruning, and I shall here enumerate such as occur to me as
requiring special note, giving the name and mode of pruning
each in the fewest possible words.

140 THE BOSB.

Austrian Briars are a very decided exception; they . produce
their blooms at tlie end of the shoots of the previous Bummer's
growth, and if cut in spring, the blossom-buds would be removed^
and there would be no bloom that season. Prime them immediately
after they have done blooming, and they will produce new wood
sufficiently early to ripen for bloom-buds before winter; in the
spring following, go over them and thin out the head carefully^
in order to preserve its shape and subdue over-luxuriance. Another
plan is, where several plants of each variety are grown, to prune
every other plant closely in spring, and leave the other half to
bloom, and prune those that bloomed in the spring following;
thus they wiU bloom alternately. The first season of plantings
shorten them down to five or six buds each shoot.

Climbing Roses require very judicious pruning, so as to induce
an equable growth of spurs or side-shoots to cover the spacea
against which they are planted. During the summer, train in
the young shoots regularly, and in the autumn cut in every one
of those shoots to three-fourths of their original length, as, for
instance, a shoot of four feet length must be reduced to three
feet, and other lengths in proportion. The shoots thus shortened
will produce side-shoots during the summer, and in the month
of March following the tree must be taken down from the wall
or trellis, and every one of these side-shoots be cut back to two
or three eyes, and the tree nailed up again. Some of the strong-
growing climbers, during the first few years after planting, may
be advantageously cut down to within three or four feet of the
ground, and they will start wonderfully, and make twenty or thirty
feet of growth the next season, if the roots are well established
in a congenial soil, and assisted during the summer with frequent
waterings and liquid manure occasionally. After that, the only
pruning that will be necessary will be to shorten in the longest
shoots a couple of feet in April, and cut in the side branches
from these to six or eight inches each twice a year, say in March
and July. To keep the lower part furnished, which is an important
matter as to the appearance of the wall or trellis, cut down one
or two of the shortest shoots in April, and every year keep one
of the lower rods on such a system, and the tree will be feathered
to the ground. This is just the way to make a noble object of

THB BOSK. 141

t^At fine TOiietj Lamarque.

Weeping Soset wkicli are worked on tali stan-
dards require little pnmiaK. The best vunetiea
far Weeping Boaea are the Ayrikira, Bour-
taultt, Eind Sempervirem; when well done in
the nursery, they fit their stocks well, and the
latter increase with the progress of the head,
and throw np very few suckers. For the first
year or two these should be trained down to
a small iron hoop, to give them a pendnlons
form, and the pmning will consist merely of
shortening in any undue growths, and catting
out any aaripe shoots, and leaving the vigor-
OOB growths at moderate and equal distances
fiom ea<^ other.

Among particular Boses, Macartney needs
but little pruning; Marie Leonida* must be
shortened to from lialf-a-dozen to a dozen eyea,
according to the strength of the shoots; the
Hybrid China, Srennat, most be cut to eight
or nine eyes; Beauty of Billard to two or
thre«, and a third of the shoot« cut dean
^-■^fay; Madame Hardy (Damaak) must have ail or eight eyes
^-aid a thinning of nnripe wood; Tea-scented, cut in very dose,
^scept those on waUa, which may have half-a-dozen eyes; Persian
^^elloa, take off only the top of the shoots, as already remarked
^.bont Austrian Briars. Hybrid Chinas. Hybrid Bourbona, and
^ome of the strongest-growing Noisettes and Bourbons should bo
'Jiruned in close every third year, 1« make them produce new
Xrood, and to prevent the plants getting old.

So far much of the seasonal work is disposed of. Supposing
them to start well after pruning, it will be neceasary to keep
& constant watch against insects, and to administer wat«r plenliiiilly
daring dry weather. As the "peats of the Eose" demand a chapter,
that part of the summer work will be dealt with anon, hnt the
matter of watering muat be at once disposed of. Boses are very
thirsty, and hence it is a folly to plant them on mounds or raised
banks, where the water will run away from them, and leave but

142 THE BOSS.

little at the roots. Eyen on lawns where the carpeting of grasB
does much to preserve a moist bottom, it is frequently necessary
to plant Boses in sunk circular beds, to facilitate the conveyance
of water to their roots, for without plenty of moisture they are
but sorry things. To obtain fine and abundant blooms their roots
must never be dry all the summer long, and liquid manure, weak
at first, and the strength gradually increased, should be given
once a week at least, as long as they are in a growing state, but
it should of course be discontinued in the autumn, to enable them
to rest naturally. Soap-suds, house refuse well diluted, the drainage
of cow-houses, stables, or piggeries, diluted with soft water, are
admirable strengtheners; or if no such aids are attainable, throw
two or three spadefuls of dung into a barrel of eighteen gallons
capacity, fill up with water, and let it stand a day or two to
settle, and use that and fill up again. After the second dose change
the dung, and go on as before.

They like water overhead as much as they do at the root, and
Bead's engine is just the thing to refresh them with on summer
evenings, when the operator wiU find as much delight in splashing
the cool sparkling spray about, aa the E/Oses will in accepting it.
It is just the sort of "odd job" to enjoy a cigar over, and if
frequently resorted to, there will be the less need to hunt for
insects, for, one and all, they hate water, and the more vigorous
the plants the less do they care to attack them. Lastly, do not
forget when winter comes to mulch over the roots with well-rotted
dimg, and fork it in when the ground has its spring dressing.
Give the hybrid Perpetuals a second manuring as soon as the first
bloom is over, and you may expect to realize a "feast of roses"
from them alone, if your selection be good, and your treatment
such as I have described.

"Never yet, by nigfat or day,

In dew of spring or sommer's ray,
Did the sweet valley shine so gay
As now it shines— all love and light,
Visions by day and feasts by night!
A happier smile illumes each brow,

With quicker spread each heart uncloses.
And all is ecstacy— for now

The valley holds its feast of Roses."

i

THE BOSB. 143

CHAPTEE V.

.»«

Exhaled asphodel

And Rose, with spicy fannings interhreathed,

Came swelling forth where little caves were wreathed

So thick with leaves and mosses, that they seemed

Large honey-combs of green, and freshly teem'd

With airs delicious." Keats.

PROPAGATION OF E08ES BY LATBBS, SUCKERS, CUTTINGS, AND SEEDS.

There is one striking peculiarity of the Bose that the cultivator
must not forget ; it roots shyly, and is slow in making a sufficiency
of fibres to render its removal safe. If we could get Koses to
make balls of fibres, as chrysanthemums do, we should get on
wonderfully with them, and have thousands where we are now
fain to be content with hundreds. But we must take them as
we find them, and make the most of every chance they give us
of increasing the charming family.

Propagation by layering is a safe but slow way, now getting
somewhat out of fashion ; perhaps the increasing practice of growing
Boses in pots has much to do with its decline, for plants obtained
from layers are generally very unfit for pot-culture. To obtain
layers it is necessary to make special provision. The stock dwarfs
most be selected, and planted out on rich soil, made a little sandy
on the sur^EU^. Early in spring head down the plants, to cause
them to throw out side-shoots, and during the next autumn and
winter layer a number of the ripest of such shoots in the following
manner: — ^Bend down the selected branch to the soil, and fix on
a good joint as near the stool of the old plant as possible, and
at that joint commence to make a slit with a clean sharp knife,
horizontally in the direction of the branch, clean into the wood
of the shoot, and through two or three eyes, so as to separate
a portion of the wood to form what is called "the tongue," of
three or four inches length; from this tongue you are to expect
roots to be emitted, and with this view scoop away from beneath

144 THK &08B.

it a portion of the «oit no u to fonn a hollow, into wliioh presH
it fimilj, iprinble over it a little silrer-und, peg it down, and
cover with the soil that was removed, and a little silver-aand over
all. The proceafi of rooting will be hastened if, before pegging
down, joa give the shoot a twist, so as to loosen the bark and

injure the wood vessels, to check the Tetnming aap. A stone ii
frequently inserted under the tongue, but a fragment of broken
fiower-pot is better to keep it open, and hasten the formation of
a callosity, which ia the first step towards the protrusion of roots.
All leaves that are in the way must be removed, a few only being
left about the head of the layered shoot.

Most CabbHf;e and Provence Roses are very
FHsily propa^fated in this way, indeed if strong
shoots of Moas Itoses are merely pegged down
in October, without "tonguing" or trimming of
any kind, they will generally root freely, and the
next spring throw up flowering shoots from
every joint. Pot Roses may be layered by
lifting the earth to the shoot, as adopted by
the Chinese. I>raw the selected shoot through
the hole in a flower-pot, suspend the pot in
such a position that the joint which appears
most likely to root well touches it inside, a,
little below the rim; then fill the pot with a

THE BOSS. 146

^'ompast of loam, potsherds, and chopped moss, and put a litUe

aifer-sand next the joint. It will only be necessary to keep the

^ in the pot moderately moist, and it will be rooted by the

^d of the season, when the branch must be gradually cut away

*^W the pot, and, when quite severed firom the parent, removed

^d treated as a young plant.

The next mode of increase is by suckers; these are taken off

^ October, November, or February. Dig down to the root care-

'^y, so as not to cut a single fibre, and then separate the suckers

^y the hand, removing each by a clean cut from the parent plant,

'^king with it, of course, as many roots as can be got. If you

®®e that no root-fibres will come away with it, cover it up again,

^^ess you see that by a neat cut you can take a portion of the

^^in root with it with fibres running outwards from the main

P*ant. The strongest suckers may be planted at once where they

^^^ to bloom, but the weakest ones must be transplanted into

^^rsery rows to strengthen for a season.

!But the grand process is by cuttings ; these, well managed, make

*'*le best plants, and to strike them is as easy as striking currant

'^ees. And first of cuttings in the open ground. If these are

^-^Jcen in summer, say from the end of June to the middle of

A.tigust, which is the usual way, a shady border must be prepared

^r them, and the soil well broken up; and choose a time, if

XK>ssible, just after rain, or, if the weather is very dry, water

tte border well a few days before planting. The cuttings should

V>e of young half-ripened wood, about four inches long, cut with

^ heel from the parent stem, and all the leaves trimmed off,

except those that belong to the top buds. If the cuttings are

taken off any length of time before planting, they should be

covered with damp moss; but it is better not to take cuttings

till all is ready for planting them, for exposure to the air does

them much injury. Now open a shallow trench, and put down

the line on one side of it, and chop the soil with the spade held

upright, so as to form an upright bank of one side of the trench.

Against this firm upright cut place the cuttings, the topmost bud

and its leaves only out of the soil; keep them three inches apart,

bring the soil to them from the other side of the trench, and

tread it firmly against them. Proceed in this way with rows

146 THE BOSE.

six inches apart, placing each lot of cuttings againnt an upright
bank, the object of this being that you may ^x them firmly, for
if loose in the soil they will be lost. If taken from plants in
full vigour, they will be well rooted in eight weeks, and must
then be carefully lifted and planted out in a more open situation
to strengthen. By the end of the next season^ they will be hearty
enough to move to permanent quarters. At the first moving from
the cutting-bed, any required for pots should be put into them
at once, and go through the shifts necessary, as will be described
in a chapter presently. Where there is a spent hot-bed available,
Kose cuttings may be more quickly struck with gentle bottom-
heat than in the open ground.

If you miss high summer, and wish to propagate by cuttings
in autumn, take stubby side-shoots of three or four inches length,
slip them off with a heel, because at the junction of the shoot
with the parent stem there are always many concealed buds, which
throw out roots more readily than from other parts. Smooth the
cut part with a knife, trim off the lower leaves and shorten the
upper ones, and plant them firmly in sandy soil under hand-lights.
Perpetuals and Chinas do very well as late as October, but more
delicate sorts do not take weD loie in the season. Mr. Beaton.
says, in reference to operations in the Experimental Gktrden afe
Surbiton, that "every day from the middle of June to the last
of December is the best time to put in Rose cuttings in the open
ground. Every one of the cuttings was made and put in during
the week between Christmas and the new year; and I think the
last few rows were put in the first days of the new year. On
a rough guess, there are from twelve hundred to a thousand and
a half, and not more than a score have failed to root out of the
whole; and just now the cutting-bed is as fiill of looses as a
patch of them in a nursery garden. I never saw a better hit

with so many kinds; but there they are I believe our success

depended in a great degree on a new kind of mulching material,
on which we have been experimenting since last October. This
material is the refuse of the cocoa-nut, after the fibre is extracted.
We get a one-horse cart-load of it for one shilling; and it is the
very best material for mulching all sorts of plants, from newly-
planted hedges to that of Hose cuttings, that I ever heard of."

THB ROSB. 147

((kUage Gardener, July 22, 1856.) Not having tried Eose
cuttings on an extensiye scale daring winter, and being quite
miaoquainted, except through Mr. Beaton's account, with the
fibre, 1 must leave it to the reader to turn the above note to
accoant as he pleases, but with the additional hint that the fibre
is obtainable at the factories at Kingston.

To strike Soses in pots requires but a slight modification of

tlie foregoing particulars. Prepare the cuttings in the same way,

each with a dean heel from the socket of the old wood. Use

five-inch pots, filled with light rich earth, pressed firm, and then

coyered to the rim with silver-sand. Water moderately, and then

with a small stick make boles just deep enough, and no more,

all round next the inside of the pot. Place the cuttings in the

holes with the few top leaves of each pointing inwards, close up

the holes with silver-sand, and water gently, and put into a cold

pit with the lights over, or on coal-ashes on a shady border, and

ooFer with hand-glasses. Tea and other delicate Roses are struck

in the same way in spring, with a gentle bottom-heat, averaging

65° or 70°. The Waltonian case does well for such cuttings, if

only a moderate stock is desired. As the cuttings make root,

shift them to small pots, and then proceed as described in the

chapter on pot-culture. April is a good time for striking Eoses

in pots with bottom-heat.

Propagation by seed is adopted for raising new varieties, and
18, of course, a portion of the work of hybridizing; it is also
employed for raising Sweet Briars and stocks for budding, as
well as for the ordinary propagation of sorts that produce fertile
hips. The proceeding is simple enough, but needs patience. As
soon as the hips are so over-ripe as to begin to decay, gather
them, and put each kind, with a tally to mark them, separately
into shallow pots, and mix with them as much earth as will prevent
any two of the hips touching, and then plunge the pots in the
open ground, and leave them undisturbed till April. Then make
a bed for tbem of light rich mould, but there is no need to take
special pains with it as you would for plants. Take the seeds
out as they are, and rub mould and seeds together between the
palms of the hands, and sow on the surface not the hips only,
but the mould in which they were preserved. Cover with half-

148 THE BOttE.

an-inck of fine mould, aud, if hot weathelr succeeds, shade Ui#
bed with green boughs. Abundance will come up, and at the
end of the season these should be transplanted to nursery rows,
but without disturbing the soil of the seed-bed more than can be
helped, for in the following year those seeds will come up which,
made no mo7e the first. If you gather the hips before they are
half-rotten, the most canny gardener that ever Hyed will not be
able to ^et a plant out of them. Hose seeds may be raised in.
a moderate hot-bed if sown in pots and plunged. They should
be transferred to a greenhouse as soon as they are an inch high,
and in May the ball must be turned out of the pot without breaking
it to a warm sheltered spot in good garden mould. There leave
them, no matter if crowded, till the following March, when they
may be pricked off into nursery-beds, and the next autumn pub
to blooming quarters.

CHAPTER VI.

I WILL not have the mad oiytie,
Whose head is turned by the sun;
The tulip is a courtly queen,
Whom therefore I will shun;
The cowslip is a country wench,
The violet is a nim;
But I will woo the dainty Uoee,
The queen of every one.

Thomas Uooo.

THE CULTURE OF STANDARD ROSES. CHOICE OF STOCK.
PLANTING AND GENERAL PREPARATIONS.

If the Hose is the Queen of flowers she must of course be
enthroned, elevated, and honoured, in a manner befitting her
dignity. Why should she dwell low on the earth in a natural
way, like the meanest of her subjects? No, the more exalted
her rank, the more should she lead an artificial life, like the
great ones of the human family, who, to stifle natural impulses,
go so far in their high civilization (?) as to refuse the maternal

THS BOSS. 149

breast to the pledges of their royal love, ignoring thereby the
te&derest manifestation of its beauty, of which human affection is

capable.

If you want noble Koses to adorn your lawn — ^to lift their

heads high in lusty pride above your borders— to shake their

blushing clusters in the sun from the midst of shrubberies, or

to range tier above tier, like terraces of colour in the rosary —

you must have standards, and to complete the pleasure of

possession, produce th7m yourself. It is really quite a simple

afiiur; the only difficulty — that of budding — is easily got over

with patience, for it is really a pretty manipulation, and may be

i^egarded as a part of the fancy work in gardening. Besides

tbis, there are many kinds of Boses, and those, too, the best of

»U, that can be well produced only with the help of foster roots;

they bloom more freely, preserve their shape, colour, and general

^^haracter better, are lifted up and converted into trees on a level

Mth the eye, or borne aloft like cressets, to give light to the

*oene that surrounds them, dowering the atmosphere with a

health of perfume, and making high poetry of the common

^Unshine, that alike blesses the E^ose and its possessor.

There are many tender kinds, too, that languish on their own
^oots; there are many of the strong-growing sorts that run
^"ampant with suckers, unless compelled to take board and lodg-
Uxg on the summit of a briar, and for many other reasons
M)arked Koses have a very special and particular value.

The standards are to be produced then, and November is the
time to make the first step. Prepare good Hose-soil as already
directed for their general culture, and order of a nurseryman or
forester as many briars as you want. Get them early, and plant
them the moment they arrive to hand. It is the early bird that
gets the worm, if the worm is fool enough to be up in the
"cool, the fragrant, and the silent hour;'* and no prudent Bose-
grower will forget the bird's example, for in this matter "delay
is dangerous" in a hundred ways. By securing the supply early
you get the pick of the season, and can have the best. You
get them in the ground betimes, and they break regularly in
spring, and are really fit for working when July comes; and
besides these advantages, you have them fresh from the hedges

150

THE BOSS.

or woodside, and they lose none of their Titali(y through lying
exposed to the air, kicked about and bundled OFer fori) weeks
together, like so many hazel rods. Get them late and hare the
refuse of the season, after keen eyes have looked them over
and quick hands have picked out every one worth having; then,
plant them late, with their constitution ruined for one season

Briar from the hedge.

The same trimmed for planting.

least, perhaps for ever, and they have no time to repair tbe
damage before the sunny days of spring come to still further
exhaust them, so that the best cannot be budded till the end of
August, when failures are more likely to happen from the lateness
of the season, and the worst want another season to be fit to

THE ROSE. 151

a bud, while, perhaps, the larger portion perish utterly, and
reproach you Tiith Young's motto, "Procrastination," etc.; you
yoarself having to lament labour wasted, and horrid gaps risible
to every eye, to proclaim you "a muff,** a lay-a-bed, a daudler;
anything in fact but a vigilant Rose-grower, awake to every
ffloye of the honourable craft of jolly gardeners.

November, then, is the time to procure stocks, and they should

be got into the ground with as little delay as possible. You

niU8t have them of different sizes and qualities, unless you pick

from a large number just those that suit you, and pay a higher

price. In sorting them over give a preference to the straightest

gi'een and brown varieties ; the lanky dry-looking dark grey sorts

*i^e not near so good as those that have a hearty-looking bark

^th a stem clean and straight to the head, the colour being of

^688 importance than the shape and size, and the more fibry

^Oots they have the better. Briars are grubbed up so roughly,

^hat you will probably get few with desirable roots; indeed they

^^nnot as a rule be had with such roots as gardeners delight in,

*^tit with huge fleshy underground stems, frequently of enormous

^ize, and the older the stocks, the larger the tap roots, and the fewer

the fibres. The first thing to be done is to sort them as to sizes ; the

^ost desirable are those that measure from two to four feet clear

in the stem, though stocks of six or seven feet are necessary for

forming weeping and climbing standards for special purposes on

lawns and walls. Well-ripened suckers of the second year are

generally the best and most easily managed. Having laid them

out in separate parcels, take a sharp saw and trim up the roots.

Xn this operation a large portion of the tap root will have to be

cut away, and in so doing, cut so as to reduce it as much as

possible without loss of fibres, for, though the absence of fibres

is not a very serious objection, the more you have the better,

because in the quick root action which most deciduous shrubs

make after being moved in winter, the earliest and best roots will

spring from those portions which are already furnished with fibres.

Wherever a bud may be visible, and likely to produce a sucker

in the following year, rub it off, and when the roots are brought

to neat shape and compass, smooth over every portion that the

saw has cut, with a sharp knife. The heads will be trimmed off

152 THE ROSE.

before you get them, but a little more trimming will be necessary.
Cut every one back so that it will make a start from a good
joint, and reduce the stems to such a size as may be desirable,
cutting each to a good bud or ring, if the bud is plainly marked
out close to it, that the bark may close over the cut part in the
next summer's growth; but if you are in doubt, cut a few inches
above where you expect the head to break, and the portion left
will be useful to tie the tender shoots to, delaying the final removal
of that portion till the grafb has taken, and is able to heal the
wound over.

The next job is to remove every prickle, and trim off the base
of any shoots which have been roughl)*^ cut off by the woodmen
in grubbing up the stocks. Cut them close in, as nearly even
with the bark of the stock as possible, and with the thumb break
off every prickle, taking care not to bruise or wound the bark in
any of your operations. Whatever wounds may occur, and every
part fairly cut in the trimming up, should be at once smeared
over with a preparation of half bees'-wax and half pitch, melted
in a pipkin, and well mixed and melted together. The tops of
the stocks may be dipped into the mixture while it is warm, and
any wounds on the stem may be smeared over with a brush.
This operation is useful, as excluding the air from the injured
portions, thereby aiding the formation of new bark to cover the
abrasions. It is, however, very much neglected, as troublesome,
and in most cases the wounds heal over by the natural tendency
of the plants to establish themselves in a healthy manner; but
the amateur grower should not neglect a single precaution necessary
to insure success, for he grows E/Osea to keep, not to sell, and
cannot afford, out of his limited number and choice variety, to
lose a single one that a little trouble might have saved. The
operation of removing the prickles is usually deferred till the season
of budding, but it is better done at once, for at budding-time the
plants do not so well bear handling, and any wound causes an
escape of sap, and the atmosphere is very destructive when acting
on the exposed inner bark of the Eose.

In planting it is as well to economize space, for stocks need
occupy but little room the first season. Take the sizes, and if
possible, make a row of each, or make two rows of each size,

THE BOSE. 163

placing the rowB in pain, and leaving alleys between each pair
only, so as to operate on each pair from the aide next each alley.
Tbe best sizes for general stook are, for the first row, one foot,
vhieh make nice low border or pot plants; next eighteen inches,
then two feet, two feet Bii inches, three feet, three feet six inches,
and four feet for the last row. Any taller atooka planted for
special porposea ahonld be moat carefully lelected, unless 7eij
strong and quite ripe, they will not have sofficient vigour to
take buds until perhaps the second season, or maj in spite of
jon, break half way down the stem, and compel you at last to
cat them over equal with some of the dwarfest. When planted
ID rows you need only leave apace between for moderate freedom
of action in superintending and managing; and in the rows they

may be six or nine inches apart, the tallest not more than a foot
st the most. Having planted them, drive a firm stake at the end
of each row, and ran a lath or hazel rod along, and to the rod
attach the head of each by a safe fastening. They will then be
secare against wind, and kept neatly together for economy of
space and facility of cultural operations.

Supposing adverse influences to work against you, stocks may
be planted as late as February or March, or even to the middle
of Apnl, bnt every day's delay after the first week in November
is a day lost, not in time merely, but in the strength and life of
the plants, and in the chances of ultimate snocesB. The later they
are planted the later they break, and, the m(»« gaps occur irom

154 THE BOSE.

the presence of dead sticks in the rows. He who delays till
spring will never be a master of the noble art of Itose-growing.
Boses of all kinds, whether stocks or rooted plants, dioold be
kept out of the ground as little as possible. If they cannot be
planted immediately after removal, let them be "laid in by the
heels/' that is, lay them with their heads one way, and cover
their roots with earth; but the less they lay in this way tbe
better; indeed "laying in by the heels," which is too generaUy
supposed to be a most preservative process, begets many dange^
ous delays, and is the ruin of a third of the stock of Boses, fimiti,
shrubs, and all sorts of things that are so treated, every season.

CHAPTEE Vn.

**We marry
A gentle Bcion to the wildest stock,
And make conceive a bark of baser kind
By bud of nobler race: this is art
Which does mend nature;— change it rather; but
The art itself is nature." Shakspkrb.

BUDDING ON THE WILD STOCK.

Fbom the day of planting to the time of budding, the stocb
wiQ give very little trouble, but must not be wholly neglected.
If entered in November, they will break in March foUowisg,
but, if planted late in the season, may not break till May, and
will have very insufficient time to make way before the season
will be gone utterly. This present June we have some, planted
in March, which have only just begun to push, while others
planted at the same time have good heads and look well, bat
the cripples are in the majority, and, of course, are barely worth
a rush for at least this season, while those entered in Noyember
have fine heads, and promise well. As soon as they begin to
break, look over them occasionally, and rub off every bud that
shows below the head, unless the top of the stock produces no
shoots, in which case wait a little, and if the head is evidently

THE BOSE. 166

weak, but a strong bud appears on the stem, cut the stock down
to that bud, and let it push with all its might; one or two others
will be pretty sure to appear in the vicinity, and you will probably
get shoots for working, though at a lower h^ht than the row
to which the stock belongs. If a stock appears weakly, and has
been already shortened sufficiently, it is sometimes advisable to
let a few superfluous shoots remain, for though they use sap,
they nevertheless help to increase the size and strength of the
stock, for it is by the elaborating power of the foliage that wood
is formed; at the same time, the best general rule is to allow
only such shoots to remain as are really wanted. Three good
shoots, well placed, so as to form a triangle, is a very desirable
head for budding on; to large stocks five are acceptable, but one
or two are sufficient for those that are really weak. The more
equidistant and regularly placed they are the better, and this
should be thought of in determining which are to remain for
future use.

The best time to bud Boses is from the middle of July to
the end of August; the sooner it can be accomplished safely the
better, but it is quite useless to attempt it unless the stocks are
ia a vigorous state, and the sap rising freely, a condition indicated
by the bark parting readily from the wood. After rain this happens
with more certainty, and if the weather is cloudy there will be
less evaporation, and hence fewer chances of failure. During heat
and drought it would be madness to attempt the operation, and
even if a heavy watering be given previously, the bark will not
part so easily as after rain; and unless the bark of the bud and
that of the stock be brought into conjunction quickly, and at a
time when there is plenty of sap in the latter, and the atmospheric
action somewhat reduced, there is the smallest possible chance of
success. Choose cloudy weather, therefore; if immediately after
a soaking rain all the better, and let the operation be performed
either very early in the morning or in the evening. If the sun
catches you meddling with his favourite flower he will surely spoil
the work for you.

And now for the operation. First provide yourself with a good
budding-knife with keen blade and ivory point; Saynor*s are ex-
cellent, so are those made by Mr. Turner, of Neepsend, Sheffield,

156 THE BOSS.

and any nurseryman will supply them. Next have ready some
go<5d bass; new Cuba is the best, but any other kind will do if
tough and fine. Cut the bass up into lengths, and have it close
at hand and made moderately damp for use. Next get a can
of water, and place it where the Eoses grow from which the buds
are to be taken, and then select the buds themselves, or rather
the shoots containing them. To be sure, you may not have them
on the spot, in which case you must secure a supply from a friend
or nurseryman, and they will come packed in wet moss, and the
moment you get them they ought to be thrown into water, and
used directly, for the air soon spoils them. If you have the
plants from which buds are to be taken, proceed to cut from
them good shoots of the autumnal growth, that is, wood shoots
as distinguished from flower shoots — shoots which are not going
to flower, not shoots which have borne flowers at their extremities.
If no wood shoots are to be obtained of any particular sort that

you are very anxious to bud from, you may try the buds of
flower shoots; and in the case of Chinas and Hybrids they are
more likely to succeed than other sorts. The wood buds are
readily distinguishable from the flower buds; the flower buds are
oval, the wood buds pyramidal. Having cut the shoots, and
trimmed off all the leaves, but leaving a portion of each leaf-stalk,
throw them into the water-can, and commence the manipulations.
Be careful not to mix the sorts, or you will not be able to tally
the standards correctly.

Having determined on the position where the first bud is to be
inserted — and it must be placed close to the stock, on a shoot
of this year — take out one of the shoots, and choose one of the
plumpest buds from about the middle; the bud should be firm
and quite closed. With the budding-knife cut out the bud with
a portion of its own wood, in the form of a shield. The ordinary
mode of performing this is to take the shoot in the lefb hand,
and enter the knife an inch above the bud, and cut through

THE ROSE.

157

towards the centre of the shoot, and out again a little below the
bud, so that you will have a crescent-shaped fragment, to which
a portion of bark wth the bud in the centre is attached. The
job is now to wriggle the wood away from the shield of bark,
yet without taking the bud away with it, and to do this neatly
requires a little practice. Take the bud in the left hand, the

Bud just out.

Shield parting from wood.

Shield ready for use.

short fragment of leaf-stalk left will enable you the better to
liandle it, and hold the point of the bud downward, giving a
gentle pressure to keep the bud in its place, yet not enough to
injure or displace it; twist the upper end of the shield backwards
and forwards, and you will see the bark separate from the wood,
and the latter will come away clean, leaving the bud in the hollow

where the bark swells around it. If you bring the bud away
with the wood, you must throw that shield away and try another;
if the bud is there it is ready for use, and the most difficult part
of the operation is over. There are, however, other modes of
detaching the shield, the best of which for a beginner to adopt,

158 THE BOSE.

is that of marking out the bnd with the point of the knife in
the form of a shield, as just described, and then to pass a horse-
hair between the bark and the wood, letting* the hair scrape the
wood so as to bring off the shield clean, and the bud with it
But the neat twist with the fingers, with the help of the point
of the knife, is the orthodox mode, and very little progress can
be made by any make-shift method, so it is best to practise this
at starting, and the "knack" will soon be acquired.

The insertion of the bud in the stock is a very easy matter; it
only needs care to effect a good union, and the eye has as much
to do with that as the fingers. Where the bud is to be placed,
you must make what is called a T incision, that is, you must slit
j across the bark from lefl to right, and then from the centre
I of the first slit make a second perpendicularly, so as to
cut the stock thus. In making the cut let the knife go
clean to the wood and no more, and make the incisions
just large enough to admit the shield freely, for it must
fit close to the wood, and when completed be as firmly
placed as if it had grown there. While you hold the shield
gently between your lips, insert the ivory end of the budding-
knife into the T incision, and gently loosen the bark from the wood
of the stock, only as far as may be necessary for the
reception of the shield. If the stock is in good condition
the bark will rise easily, and the bud must be inserted
without a moment's delay, for the atmosphere has a most
baneful influence when acting on the exposed surface under
the bark. When raised sufficiently the T incision will have
the appearance here indicated.

Now slip in the shield from the top, push it down to the
bottom of the incision, and then cut off the protruding segment
of the shield which stands above the upper part of the
incision, as indicated in the cut; where A represents where
the knife is to pass to remove the top of the shield, and
make it fit exactly to the edge of the bark of the stock,
at the transverse cut. The bark of the bud will now be
underneath the bark of the stock, which will close over
it and press it to the wood, and the top of the shield
will exactly fit to the edge of the bark of the upper

THE BOSE. 169

incision, thus. This last direction most be strictly attended to, for
it is on the line which forms the top of the incision, that
the junction first takes place, by means of the descending
sap. If the two edges do not meet well there, the bud
will be likely to fail. The proceeding may be varied by
adopting Mr. Rivers's plan; namely, to make the incision
in the stock obliquely, as in this way the shoot from the
bud is less likely to be injured by the wind, which
sometimes tears away shoot and bud together.
The bud inserted must be quickly tied up; it must be bound
moderately tight, but with great care. Begin by placing the middle
of the bass behind the bud, and then bind by crossing it regularly
and neatly, so as to enclose rather more than the length of the
shield each way, leaving the bud free, and peeping out from the
ligature; making the knot behind the bud; if in front the knot
holds the rain and does mischief. Some persons use grafting-wax
to exclude the air from the portions of the bark which have been
operated on; but there is really no need for it if the operator
performs his task neatly, and without neatness the best bud ever
entered will be pretty sure to fail. Grafting-wax is made as
follows: — Take sealing-wax, mutton fat, and white wax, one part
of each; honey one-eighth part. Melt the white wax and fat
first in a pipkin, then add the sealing-wax, gradually stirring the
while; and when the ingredients are well blended add the honey,
and after another minute or two take the mixture off the fire.
Pour into a tin mould or dish, and stir it gently till it begins to
congeal, when it may be left for use. As it is terribly inflammable,
be on your guard while making it, for grafting-wax has burnt
more than one gardener out of house and home.

A few maxims may here be added as addenda, to impress upon
ihe beginner the chief features of this pretty operation.

Never bud unless the sap is rising in the stock freely, for
inless the bark parts well, it is impossible for the bud to take
veil. On the other hand, when the bark parts freely from the
rood of the stock a speedy union may be expected, if the bud
3 also in good condition and inserted neatly.

In removing the wood from the shield begin above the bud,
ind in completing the insertion be particular in making the edges

160 THE KOSE.

of the bark and the shield meet closely and neatly, for it is there
that the first junction takes place.

Mr. Rivers^ one of our highest authorities in such matters,
recommends that the incision in the stock should be made obliquely;
we have described it as usually performed — vertically. On Mr.
Rivers *s plan it would be made obliquely, as a provision against
the tearing away of the bud by the wind, late in autumn or early
in spring.

Mr. Rivers recommends cotton- twist instead of bass for tying
up; it should be of the finest quality, and of the kind that tallow-
chandlers use for "dips." We frequently use worsted in the loose
hank, and find it answer well. A laurel leaf tied at each end,
so as to arch vertically over the bud, is a good protection against
the action of the sun and rain. A light stick attached to the
upper end of the stock, will be found usefxd for tying the shoot
from the bud to, as it makes progress, as a security against winter
storms.

At the nurseries, Roses are twice budded to increase the chances
of success, and each, if they take, is allowed to push; but if the
amateur adopts the first plan, he must reject the second, by cutting
away the weakest aa soon as a "take" is certain. This is growing
to keep versus growing to sell.

If the season is adverse, a free flow of the sap preparatory to
budding may be promoted by liberal watering with liquid manure,
at a temperature of 90°, on the afternoon preceding the operation.
Another dose of clear rain-water the next morning at daybreak,
will be further beneficial, and the buds should be inserted before
the sun gets power to cause a prejudicial evaporation. The shady
side of the stock is the best to work on, if the shape of the head
admits of it, and the portion worked should be free from knot^
or latent buds. If it is inconvenient to bud Roses before seven
in the morning, let it be done after three in the evening; cloudy
dull weather is best, and especially just after rain.

Lastly, endeavour to see the operation of budding performed,
once at least, before you make your first experiment, for it is
one of the most difficult to describe. It depends upon "knack,"
and that is best acquired after "ocular demonstration." Having
seen it, come back to these pages for general advice, and you

THE EOSE. 161

\fill soon become expert in the manipulations. It has been recom-
mended for beginners to make their first essays on the branches
of willows, so as to gain an idea of the relations of the bark and
the shield, without fear of having to pay dearly for experience.

CHAPTEE VIII.

^"Steength may wield the ponderous spade,

May turn the clod, and wheel the compost home;
But elegance, chief grace the garden shows.
And most attractive, is the fair result
Of thought, the creature of a polished mind."

C!OWPKR.

OTHER MODES OP BUDDING.

The preceding chapter treats only of the ordinary budding of
standards. Thbugh the operation is the same, or nearly so, in
all cases, the mode of its application varies according to the kind
of plants under culture, and the desired character of the future
tree. These other modes we shall briefly touch upon here, with
the view of showing the ,Ilo8e-grower how he may vary his operations
in the creation of stock, for the embellishment of the garden.

The nurserymen practice largely budding on the stem, instead
of the head of the tree, and use for the purpose small green
briars, which are planted close and left to make what head they
will. Stocks that are not over strong too, or which have but
one shoot, are sometimes budded in the same way; and buds
inserted in the stem usually take well if the stocks are young,
and have clean, green, and easily-parting bark. The mode of
budding on the stem is precisely the same as already described,
but the place chosen for the insertion of the bud is usually half
way down the stock, below all the shoots. In March the stock
is cut over an inch above the bud, and the latter usually pushes
vigorously and makes a good head the first season. When only
one shoot is fit for working on a stock, another may be entered
on the stem, on the side opposite to the one placed on the shoot;
and E>oses of delicate habit which would not use the sap of free-

162 THE BOSE.

growing stocks, may be advantageously budded in a similar manner.

Another yariation is that by which Dwarf Soses are obtained
by working them, instead of growing them on their own roots,
either for borders or pot-culture. The Manetti stock is largely
used for this purpose, Mr. Francis, of Hertford, having at the
present time upwards of forty thousand in his nursery; and as
an exhibitor he carries all before him in this particular department.

In working dwarfs cut off the head to within six inches of the
ground; then with the knife make a T incision on the upper side
of the young branches, as already described in detail, and enter
the prepared buds.

Another mode of budding is to enter buds in the usual way
all along the shoots, six inches apart from each other. This should
be done in June and July, or early in August. At the beginning
of October cut them off, and treat them as cuttings, (see chapter
five.) Take out all the eyes of the stock, except the orie above
the inserted bud, plant them in rows, and when they haye grown
six or eight inches, mould them up so that the i^erted bud will
be three inches under the soil. The inserted bud wiU now put
out roots, and stock and bud will both flourish together in ma-
trimonial amity. Ramblers, JBoursaults, Manettis, and Adelaide
d* Orleans, are the best of stocks for this kind of work.

The French bud briars as they stand in the hedges, and then
treat them as cuttings. The same plan has been practised in
this country, but does not succeed so well, the climate not being
so favourable for the operation.

THE ROSE. 16:^

CHAPTER IX.

"Rose of the garden, how unlike thy doom!
Destined for others, not thyself, to bloom.
Cull'd ere thy beauty lives through half its day;
A moment cherishM, and then cast away;
Rose of the garden! such is woman's lot,—
Worshipp'd while blooming,— when she fades forgot.

MOORB.

TBEAT3IBNT AFTER BUDDING.

There is work yet before you, for the placing of buds is not
all that is requisite to secure E>oses. You will soon find that,
having meddled with nature, the old dame will concoct a conspiracy
against you, the sun, the rain, the wind — ^the very sources of life
to every green thing — will become your enemies; and what mischief
they fail to effect, slugs and snails will do their utmost to accom-
plish. But having commenced you must go on, determined not
to be beaten. Nil desperandum ought to be chalked up in the
tool-shed and above the garden door, or even spelt out in a chain-
pattern of flowers on the turf, to keep vigilance aUve, and preserve
the heart from despondency amidst multiplying difficulties. Most
of the after work, however, is of a watchful or precautionary nature;
there are few quaint "knacks" to study, for if you once get your
buds well placed, you only need "watch and ward" to bring them
safe through every trial, though pitilessly pelted by legions of foes.

It must be obvious that an inserted bud is in a very artificial
condition, at least for a considerable length of time. It is long
before the yeoman stock can fairly agree with his delicate courtly
spouse, and unless they both have a little coaxing they may separate
for ever, without the aid of a new divorce bill. The 5i8t step
to prevent this is to make provision for supporting the shoot fr(»n
the bud, the moment it is of sufficient length for a strip of bass
to be passed round it. To the head of the stock tie a stiff short
stick, of about the thickness of the finger, or less; it must be

164 THE ROSE.

stiflT 80 as not to budge a hair's-breadth in the most threatening
gale. To this stick tie the new shoot as it rises, and see at att.
times that your yet but partially united bud is safe against wind.

In very favourable circumstances the bud gets pretty well united
in the course of about five weeks, sometimes eight, ten, or mor^
weeks may elapse before the imion may be considered good. At
all events six weeks after budding the heads should be look(
over, and the ligatures loosened a little, or unbound and tied uj
again with broader strips of bass, and made a little looser thi
before; but this must be very tenderly accomplished. The bes*
way is to cut with the point of the knife that part of the bindii
which is just behind the bud, taking care of course not to
through to the bark. If the bud is swelling, and the binding appeal
very tight, this loosening must be done; if the bud seems doi
mant, yet healthy, and the bass only moderately tight, the bindii
may be left untouched till spring.

Now supposing the bud to have taken, the character of th.e
future head is to be determined by judicious pruning and stopping.
There must be no undue haste to cut in the wild branches, because
any sudden check to the flow of sap will disorganize the tree;
but as soon as the sap is down, which happens at the end of
October or the first week in November, you must slightly prune
in the wild branches, some growers cut them close down soon
after budding, owing to a participation in the common error that
the more closely you prune the stronger the tree becomes. True,
after pruning there is always a tendency to make a good deal of
new and small wood, but that arises from the sap having no
natural escape, and it breaks out in shoots here, there, and every-
where; whereas in a healthy tree the most vigorous leaf action is
at its upper extremities, in fact it is by means of the foliage that
the sap from the root is converted into wood, and in the culture
of the Rose hasty and over severe pruning is for that and other
reasons very prejudicial.

When the tree has begun its seasonal rest, trim up and shorten
in the head, but use the knife moderately, and leave the tree
neatly shaped, with a head somewhat proportioned to the root.
The pruning must be tenderly accomplished, or the bud may be
shaken to its injury.

THE BOSE. 165

If the bud pushes well in the autumn, it must be stopped by
nipping off the top bud as soon as it is six inches long. This
will cause its sap to concentrate about the rings of the bark, and
in the ensuing spring it will be prepared to throw out side-shoots
for the formation of a head. If, however, the head is small, or
the position exposed to the north or east, it will be better to let
the wild head remain untoached till March, or even so late as
the first week in April, for the earlier you prune the earlier will
new shoots push, and it is not desirable to force a tree into growth
too early for it to make real and beneficial progress.

In March the most important of all the pruning operations
takes place. The wild branches are all cut away, except one bud
above the inserted bud; that is, one wild bud is left on the shoot
which was worked, and this is called the swp hud, its ofiice being
to draw the sap upward, and help the pushing of the inserted
bud. The sap flowing freely in that direction to the one wild bud,
hastens the completion of the union where the incision was made,
and the entered bud is likely to make good progress. If no bud
hut that entered was left, the sap might not readily flow to it,
and to get rid of its sap, the plant would throw out side-shoots
all the way up the stem, and perhaps suckers from the root;
whereas the sap bud draws it upward, and encourages the kind
of growth you want. If a knot forms below the inserted bud,
and begins to push with it, it is well to allow it to remain for
a time, for its presence will frequently assist the inserted bud, by
promoting a free flow of the abundant sap ; but when the inserted
bud seems strong enough to use the sap, the wild branch may
be removed by a clean cut to its base.

When the March pruning takes place, the last job is to cut
the top of the stock close over to the inserted bud, so that no
more wild growth can take place above the bud, to interfere with
the formation of the head. It must be cut at an angle of 45°
or 50^, so close to the base of the shoot from the bud, that there
shall be scarcely the thickness of cardboard above it, for the bud
will have to help in barking it over; and if any length of wood
is left above the bud, it will either produce shoots of wild
growth, or die and eat into the stock, to the ruin of the tree.
When cut over, the wound should be covered with clay paint,

106 THE HOSE.

(see page 113,) or with the mixture described at page 159.

The sap-bud may now be expected to grow vigorously; it is
better if it does so. When it has got two or three pairs of leaves
stop it by nipping off the top with the finger and thumb; then
as the placed bud prepares to take the lead, cut in the sap-bad
a little closer, but do not remove it utterly till about midsummer
of the year following, when it may be cut off close to the inserted
bud, and that should be the end of all wild growth. Now you
have made your Eoses, and may transplant them to their blooming
quarters in the garden or rosary.

Your city life of care and strife,

Leads sooner to the close,
Than scenes like these, to hearts at ease

Beneath the flowering Rose.

CHAPTEE X.

"Go, lovely Rose;
Tell ;her that wastes her time and me

That now she knows,
When I resemble her to thee.
How sweet and fair she seems to be;

Tell her that's young.
And shuns to have her graces spied.

That hadst thou sprung
In deserts where no men abide.
Thou must have uncondemned died.

Then die, that she
The common fate of all things rare

May read in thee:
How small a part of time they share
That are so wondrous sweet and fair."

Waller.

GRAFTING THE ROSE.

Grafting is a neater and more certain method than budding;
it is quicker, too, in producing a result; a tree is sooner formed,
and sometimes grafts flower the same season. It is an economical
practice, too, for in the spring pruning every good shoot cut off
may be used as a scion, so that if the stocks are well rooted,

TAB SOSE. 167

propagatioa of the choicest sorts may be commeoeed at onoe,
without waiting for the summer biidding. It may also be adopted
wkere buds of the preceding autuma ha^e failed. To succeed,
the sap must be rising freely in the stocks, as indicated by the
flfreliing of the wood and buds, and the stock must be in ad?«nce
of the scion, that is, in a condition of greater vigour, and to insure
this condition the scions are cut some time before they are to
)e used, so as to reduce their strength, and fit them to take up
lap from the stock.

In grafting E.ose8, the wedge graft is the best mode, and it is,
terhaps, the easiest of any. The stocks should be in good con-
lition, well rooted, and about to grow vigorously. In February,
procure the scions; nurserymen will supply them to name of all
l^e choicest sorts; and if you have some sterling Eoses from which
''ou can take scions, cut off with a sharp knife some strong shoots
Hat have not begun their spring growth, cutting them their full
dngth; tally each lot of shoots as soon as taken, and tie in separate
>undles those of different kinds. These must be kept alive for
lome weeks with great care, and the best way is first to cut off
Lny of the top buds that are open, and then to stick the thickest
^nds of the shoots into moist clay, pressed tightly to them, and
>lace the whole in pots of moist mould, and stow them away in
lome dry shed or spare room where they will not be subject to
;lie action of sun, rain, or wind; they must be kept just moist
for three weeks, and if they are in a very dry place it will be
%A well to strew a little damp moss amongst them.

At the expiration of three weeks, those least fit for grafting
ivili be shrunk, and must be picked out and thrown away, but
the best will be still plump, and in a desirable condition for use.
Tho first week in March is the best time in most seasons for
Etose grafting. The stock is cut over horiisontally, and a slit or
wedge made in it vertically, one and a half or two inches long,
% strong sharp knife being better than a chisel for the purpose.
[t must be a clean cut down the centre of the wood, without
my jagging or tearing of the bark. As soon as the slit is made,
take the scion in the left hand, cut away the portion that was
buried in the clay, and cut away from the head of the scion as
much as may be necessary to reduce it to two or three good buds
LA the middle of the shoot; then cut the lower end to a long

wedge, proportionate to the length of tbn glit in the itook, tti
with the lowest bud only just above the top or thickest put oT
the wedge. No dirt or chips must be about either of the cut
parte, and the bark iniut be as whole and antom as poemble,
not a scrap removed beyond what oomea away in cutting a oImi
wedge. Son open the alit in the stock by mesne of a hud
wooden tally or ivory wedge, and holding the thickeat part cr
front of the soion outwards, insert it in the alit, and allow tbt
stock to close and pinch it; they ought to fit very neatly, ui
the inner bark of the scion ought to tooch the inner hark of
the stock all the way down, and the outer bark of each shonld
meet neatly down the outside of the deft. Now prepare auolW
scion in the same way, withdraw the ivoiy wedge, and inaart

t^at on the opposite side of the stock, and in the same wij
proceed till you have three or four scions inserted, though a
couple will be enough for middling-sized stocks^ and in the fint
attempts no more should be tned.

In binding np, it will be bevt to uiie broad strips of good bass,
and to pass it ronnd so that it shall be impcMsible for the sdona
to shift, either owing to the weather, or the swelling of the stock,
or the accession of a flow of sap. When neatly, but not too
tightly, bound up, cover the whole over with grafling d^ or
the mixture described in the chapter on budding, to exclude the
atmosphere entirely from every portion that has been cut. Of
course the clefl in the centre of the stock between the scioDS

THB BOSS. 169

ffltist be bound over with bass to prevent the clay from touching
the split wood, which will unite in time by the flow of the sap.
1 bundle of soft moss should then be tied round the head of
itock and the scion, still farther to defend both from the at-
aosphere, and preserre moisture to the bark. In dry weather
he moss must be occasionally wetted, but if the water trickles
hroiigh any crevice in the clay or bandages, and gains access
o the head of the stock, it will do much mischief, and may cause
he loss of the scions. Grafts inserted near the ground may be
iovered with mould after the clay is put on.

The same process may be adopted for grafting choice sorts on
kny well-rooted stools of E.oses that are in a proper condition.
Suppose you have some dwarfs that you care little about; they
uro well rooted, and ready for their spring growth. Cut them
>ver, and cleft-graft them with first-rate varieties, entering only
>ne scion in each shoot, and leaving but one bud of the graft
:;o break. As soon as the graft has taken, layer the shoot under
\ hand-glass, and it will root and make a good plant for removal
bhe same autumn.

Grafting completed, you have now to hope for a speedy imion
and the perfect healing of the wounds that have been made. About
midsummer, remove the clay and loosen the ligature, and apply
a coat of mixture, leaving the point of the pushing bud free. This
must be done just after rain, when the clay will be soft, and easily
removed, and the scion in a condition not to feel a shock from
exposure to the air. Any grafts that have not taken should then
be cut away, and every portion of dead wood on the stock where
it has been worked cut clean away to the scions that have taken,
and the wounds covered with mixture. But if all fail, knock off
the clay and cut the stock down to the first wild branch that
has broken out below the graft, and thus get a new head to bud
upon in the autumn. But there must be no haste in inferring
that the graft has failed; they sometimes lie dormant a long
while, and then push vigorously; at all events, as long as the
bark and buds of the scion remain plump there is nothing to
fear, and when once a good leaf opens on the scion the union
bastens, and ultimate success is certain.

Grafting clay is made as follows: — Take strong adhesive loam,
md beat and knead it till it is of the consistence of soft soap.

170

THB B06B.

Take also some horse-droppings, and rub them through a riddle,
of half-inch mesh, until thoroughly divided. Grot some oow-
manure, (the fresher the better,) and mix about equal parts of
the three, kneading and mixing them until perfectly and uoiformly
mixed; some persons add a little road-scrapings to the mass. A
vessel with very finely-riddled ashes must be kept by the side of
the grafber, and after the clay is closed round the scion the
hands should be dipped in the ashes; this enables the person
who applies the day to close the whole with a perfect finish.
It must be so closed that no air can possibly enter, and it is
well to go over the whole in three or four days afterwards, when,
if any have rifbed or cracked, they may be closed. (Cottage
Gardeners* Dictionary.)

Second Tear -one bud fiuML

Autumn pruning -a, a, a.

Spring pruning to sap bud—b, b, b.

THX B08B. 171

CHAPTER XI.

"Let US fill onrsdves with costly wine^, and ointments, and let no flower of the
spring pass by us.

Let OS crown ourselves with Roee-huds, before they be withered. **~Tbb Wisdom
c^r iiOLOMOM.

CULTURE OF E0SE8 IK POTS.

Pot Boses are beautifid objects, and take the highest rank as
Igpreenhouse, conservatory, and window ornaments. It is by pot-
culture that the most symmetrical and perfect specimens are ob-
tained of the more delicate and costly kinds of Soses, the lovely
Teas, Chinas, and Bourbons, or Hybrid Perpetuals worked six
inches high or close to the collar, so that Tthen potted the stem
is scarcely visible. For pot-culture. Moss, Provence, and Austrian
Persian Yellow are good subjects on their own roots; but Hybrids,
Bourbons, Chinas, and Teas do best when worked.

Pot Boses require some special pains to be well bloomed; and
it is of the first consequence that a Fot Rose should be understood
to be a thing quite distinct from a Eose potted. The plant ought
to be grown from infancy in a pot, and brought by a regular
course into a condition of strength commensurate with its confined
space, and the work required of it. In forming a stock of Pot
Roses, commence in the autumn with such plants as you purpose
cultivating. If worked, take well-rooted layers, and pot them off
in small pots in a compost of two parts sandy loam and one of
leaf-mould, but with no manure. The pots should be as small
as their roots can be got into, for the purpose of giving as much
increase as possible afterwards. Prune each to about three good
eyes, and plunge in ashes in a dry cold frame, and there winter
them. Xeep them as dry as possible, so that they do not fiag,
so as to prevent them breaking prematurely.

In March, re-pot them into pots two sizes larger, using a similar
compost, and give them a cold frame again, with plenty of light,
and encourage their ^growth, so as to have them well matured

172 THE ROSY.

before the next winter; and all through the summer they must
have such attention as to watering, destroying insects, etc., as
you would give to any other choice stock. Just before tibey
cease growing, partially cut through all the shoots at a length
sufficient to leave three good buds on each, and as soon as they
are quite at rest, complete the removal of the portions partially
cut, and again winter them in frames, and keep as dry as pos-
sible, to secure perfect rest.

Next spring, turn them out of their pots, slightly reduce tiie
ball of each, and re-pot into pots one size larger, in a compost of
two parts sandy loam, one of leaf-mould, and one of very old
and sweet dung. Give them a start in a close frame, with a
temperature of from 40° to 50° or 55° by day, with a fall of at
least 5° at night, and supply them constantly with water, with
occasional syringing. When they have fairly started, stimulate
them for blooming with weak manure water; keep them always
clean and tidy, and, as usual, keep your eyes open for insect
enemies. Artificial supports may now be wanted, and stakes
must be used to train them to, or their branches may be brought
down to the sides of the pot, so as to spread them out well as
for exhibition. Air must be given as freely as possible, except
during cold drying winds, when it is advisable to keep them close
from its wasting influence; they will now bloom profusely.

If on their own roots, cuttings make much the best plants for
pot-culture, but unless great care is taken in potting them off from
the cutting-pots many may be lost; hence a little bottom heat is
good at the first shift, especially for Teas and Chinas. Turfy
loam and peat is a capital soil for Pot Eoses not worked, there
should be a little sand, and hut a little, but very efficient
drainage. Chinas so grown must be repeatedly stopped to induce
a bushy habit; at the end of the growing-season a few of the
principal branches may be quite cut in, and the remainder need
have no pruning at all. The easy manner in which Chinas may
be brought into compact specimens, and the profusion of their
bloom renders them particularly suited for pot-culture. Those
who are disposed to give the one-shift system a trial, may do so
with China Roses from cuttings with great hope of success, but
the after-treatment must be adapted to their condition; occa-
wnal refreshing of tlie B\urface -^iVk lo^-dx^^wi^s^ the use of

f

THB B08X. 173

iiqnid maniiTe, and at starting, a soond loam and yerj Sbrj
j>eat most be used, and plenty of drainage.

A Banksian "Rose trained to a pillar trellis is a fine ornament

"t^o a conservatory, and if grown vigorously in the early part of

summer, Banksian Boses are amongst the best to m^e fine

specimen plants in pots. Noisettes and Hybrid Perpetuals are

^perbaps the least suited of any for pot-culture, tbey seem to

^xneed root-room and the open air; but the Scotch Bose, though

:B.ts blossoms are of short duration, is nevertheless very eligible on

^account of its profuse blooming and neat habit. Among the

-^eas, worked plants of Adam, Comte de Paris, DevonienHs,

-^figured,) Nipketos, Saffrano, Gloire de Dijon, Madame VUleT'

mnoz, and Duchess of Kent, are perhaps the best eight that can

T>e chosen. Mrs, Bosanquet is a lovely China, very much used

^or pot-culture on very short stocks. Among Bourbons take

Du Petit Thouars, Lovise Odier, Sir J. Paxton, and Souvenir de

Malmaison; the last is the finest Bose for pot-culture that we

have. Among Hybrid Perpetuals the most suitable are Baronne

Larray, Baronne Prevost, Duchefif of Sutherland, (figured,)

Geant des Batailles, Leon des Combats, Madame Laffay, Mrs,

Rivers, Mrs, Elliott, (rather shy,) and William Jesse,

CHAPTEB XII.

FOBCINa SOSES, AND GBBENHOUSB CULTUBB.

Thb stock for forcing should be potted early in autumn, in
largish sized pots, in a compost of equal quantities of loam,
leaf-mould, old hot-bed dung, and sand. Boom should be left
for a layer of rotten dung at the top, or better still some deer,
sheep, or goat droppings, gathered a few months previously and
kept dry. Cut the plants back to three good eyes, and plunge
the pots in sawdust, and encourage them to push. About
November begin to force those chosen for the first lot. Begin
with a temperature of 50° and gradually increase it to 65*^,
with a fall of 6° at night. They should be plunged, and the
pots as well as the plants kept moist; the syringe should be

174 THS BOSS.

lued freely, and they should be watered with laqiad maniffe,
at a temperature of 7(f. If they push yery vigoroualy they
must be disbudded, only one bud being left to each flower-stalkv
and that the strongest. With good management the first lot
will oome into bloom in January, and may be sueoeeded by
other batches treated in a similar manner.

In greenhouse culture, where forcing is not resorted to, the
winter pruning should take place in December, for those that
are to bloom in May and June. Place them in the house in the
early part of January. Keep the temperature as near to an
average of 45^ as possible, with a rise to 50^ or 56° for sun-
shine. Water liberally, and use liquid manure occasionally, keep
down insects, and train as required, and in other respects treat
as recommended for general pot-culture.

CHAPTEE Xin.

BI8RASB8 AND BNBMIES 01* THB B08B.

Thb Eose has a host of enemies, and is subject to disease
occasionally, and were it not for its immense vital energy, it
could scarcely continue its existence, seeing how the green fly
sucks its juices, how the beetle eats into its buds, how snails,
caterpillars, and a hundred other enemies continually war against
it. As a matter c^ course, good culture is the best preventive;
but good culture includes more than preparing a good soil, and
performing the planting properly. Frequent inspection of the
stock is a very essential duty; such inspections will bring to
light many adverse influences which, if not discovered and checked
at once, may not only ruin the plant attacked, but possibly spread
over the whole collection, and do immense injury. Among the
diseases of the Eose, blotched leaves, mildew, and extravasated
sap are those most common. Worked Eoses, being in an artificial
state, one sap circulation having to serve for two kinds of plants,
are for the first year or two frequently very irregular in their
growth. If the head is a very free grower, and the stock too
poor to supply sap, the leaves will shrivel and fall, and the samo

THE BOSS. 175

najr iiappen after traofiplantiDg, if the roots have been injured,
»r tbe tree removed from a rich soil to a poor one. Transplanting
'ery late, especially if warm rains occur early in spring, immediately
kfier the trees have been moved, so as to give them a start above
lefore they have made fresh root, generally causes a shedding of
oliage as soon as summer droughts occur. In each of these cases
t is evident that tbe stock is not equal to tbe demands of the
lead, and the best course is to prune in the head moderately,
md to dig a trench down to the roots in a circle two feet from
he stem. Into this trench throw three or four inches of well-
"otted stable-manure, cover it with the soil from the trench, and
:hen bank up the trench so as to form a hollow with the tree
jk the centre. Three times a week pour into this hollow three
Dr four gallons of water, and in the course of a few weeks an
improvement will be visible, and the Eose may bloom as well as
any, though later in the season.

There is no doubt that mildew is often indicative of weakness
in the tree, as much as it also certainly indicates that the spores
of fungi abound in the soil and the air. It is in cold uncongenial
seasons that mildew appears, and the weakest plants are those
soonest affected by it. There are three kinds of fungi known
to be parasitical on the Eose, Uredo ro^tB^ Puceinia rosce, and
Cladosporium herbarum; sometimes all three may be found at
the same time infesting the leaves of the Eose, and causing a
mouldy, unwholesome appearance, as unsightly as pernicious. The
best of all remedies is sulphur, either in fine powder dusted over
the leaves, or in the form of sulphur paint, made of clay, sulphur,
and water, beat together till they form a liquid paint, which must be
applied with a brush. Where any portions appear more particu-
larly affected, carefully cut away the leaves with a pair of scissors,
letting the leaves fall into a basket, so as to avoid spreading the
contagion; then paint the stems and stipules over, and bum the
cuttings. Generally a careful dusting with flour of sulphur will
be sufficient. The Boite a Houppe, sold for half-a-crown by
Burgess and Key, of Newgate Street, London, is the best instru-
ment ever devised for distributing lime or sulphur in impalpable
powder among plants.

Extravasated sap is evidence of the very opposite condition which
attends the shrivelling and falling of the foliage. Here there is

176 THB R08X.

an excess of vigour, and the tree being unable to get rid of Urn
sap sufficiently fast by means of the foliage, the sap vessels bunk,
and the plant gains relief. If the tree makes very long shoots,
and grows with great luxuriance, you may conclude that plethora
is the cause; and root-pruning, and the removal of a portion of
the rich soil it is in, and the substitution of a poorer soil for it,
is the obvious remedy. But it sometimes arises from the tree
being hidebound, owing to hardening of the bark, in which case
the branches should be shortened in a little, and the tree supplied
vnth liquid manure, which for a time will appear to increase the
evil, but by giving the sap a free flow will really cure it, by
causing a loosening of the bark.

Green fly is but too well known as a parasite on the Bose,
and if any one of God's creatures ever came in for a yirulent
hatred by men, the Aphis roscB most certainly enjoys it, though
seeming to thrive none the less. In small collections it is possible
by an occasional hour's work to make great havoc among green
fly by means of the Angers, drawing the tops of the shoots between
the finger and thumb, and crushing them there and then. A
woollen glove would make the touch more tender to the Soses,
and obviate the unpleasantness to the fingers. A good shower
from the garden engine would then cleanse the shoots, and destroy
those that had fallen about the stems and the ground. In applying
tobacco smoke, Brown's fumigator is the best instrument, and if
used out of doors, the plant operated on must be covered with
a sheet.

For the beetle, (Anisopia horticolaj and the maggot, (Tortrix
bergmannianaj which is the larva of a little moth with metallic
black wings, not so large as a house fly, the only remedies are
hand picking, which must be done with care, or many of the
pests may escape. The vi^lant eye is better than any nostrum
for such very individual but destructive enemies. If the maggot
gets the upper hand, and picking appears a hopeless and endless
job, trim off the shoots and burn them at once, and let the trees
make a fresh growth.

THB R08B. 177

CPAPTER XIV.

SBLSCnON OF VARIETIBS.

I HAYS endeaTonred so far to reduce the rationale of Sose

^^Iture to the fewest possible rules, and such exceptions as

Necessarily occur I have sought to simplify. But when we come

'**o the selection of sorts, the matter really grows complicated;

^'^r, though an old hand at Eoses can tell them off into classes

^Jid colours, and in a few moments decide as to the best kinds

^^r this or that purpose, a beginner may very well be puzzled

^t the immense variety of colours and habits into which the

^£ofie has sported, and be lost in wonder as to where on earth

^o many Eoses came from. !Now classification, whether in

chemistry, zoology, or any other science, has a very forbidding

Jook to outsiders; but the moment you get the key^ the whole

matter arranges itself into order like the steps of a flight of

stairs; and what before appeared bewildering, becomes as simple

as a multiplication table.

First then, as to Eoses of large growth. These comprise five
families, all of them suited to grow as climbers or to weep on
lawns; and when well cultivated they are the very noblest of
floral ornaments that can be had for arbours, trellises, walls, or
spacious lawns, where they may be allowed to droop over from
their stems of six or seven feet high to the ground. They are
all easily grown, require no 'pruning^ or at least only such as may be
safficient to preserve uniformity of growth; they seldom throw up
suckers, and the stock continually grows as the head increases. The
seven families of climbing Eoses are: — Ayrshires, which are the
hardiest, and suitable for north-cast aspects; these are mostly
pale-coloured Eoses, white, blush, and flesh-colour being the
leading tints. The Banksias and Boursaults are less robust in
growth, but they comprise some charming purple, crimson, and
yellow flower?. The Multifloras are very magnificent and of
most luxuriant growth; one of them, the Greville Eose, is per-

178 THS S08S.

haps the handsomest of all climbing Soses; it prodnces in the
same clusters flowers of every shade of purple, from white to
the darkest tint. A wonderful specimen of this Sose flourished
some years since (and perhaps does still) at a nursery near
Woking; it covered one hundred square feet on a north-east
wall» and produced annually some three thousand five hundred
blossoms, in various shades of white, blush, crimson, scarlet, and
purple. This variety is readily distinguished from other MulH'
floras^ by the thick fringe of the leaf-stalk and the larger size
of the leaves themselves.

The fifth important section is that known as the Sempervirent
or Evergreen Roses, the three best of which for general purposes
are Felicite Perpetuelh, Myrianthes, and Florihundus, The first
of these is a creamy white, the next a delicate rose, and the
third a rosy bufl*; but they are all good, and number at least
sixteen very distinct sorts. The two other families of climber are,
Ruhifolia, containing half-a-dozen varieties of white, pink, and
crimson, and the Hybrid Climbers, a very small section, delicate
in habit, and bearing well-doubled flowers. These latter are
worthy the attention of connoisseurs, who should possess them-
selves of Astrolabe, Queen, and Sir James Sebright.

We now come to Moss Roses, which form a large and highly-
prized class, numbering many very distinct varieties. These may
generally be grown either as standards or on their own roots.
But the Moss Roses may be divided into two distinct classes,
one the early flowering, and the other the Moss Perpetual. The
first section comprises Roses that bloom from May to July, the
second from May to November. They are all highly-scented,
and of rather delicate constitution, so as to require careful
treatment to bring them to perfection. The best early Moss
Roses for a small collection are Alice Leroy, lilac, very large;
Aristides, carmine; Common, rose-colour, and very large when
well grown; White Bath; Princess Royal, salmon blush; and
Latone, deep rose, with white margin and well mossed. Among
the perpetual Moss Roses the most noted are Imperatrice Eu-
genie, which has somewhat disappointed the expectations of
amateurs; Madame D'Ory, carmine and good; Pompone, a very
free bloomer; and White, which has crimson stripes on a white
ground, and is beautifully mossed.

THB BOSS. 179

Tvro other classes claim a passing note. The Provence or

Gabhage Soses are everywhere known for their fragrance and

It^rdiness. Light colours prevail in this section, Unique being

tlie best white; A feuilles de Laitres, a splendid rosy tint with

ourious foliage; J<icquimenot, pink and white; and Moyal, which

is a large globular blush flower, and generally comes veiy fine.

TX7he common Provence is by no means to be despised, and

sXiould have a place in the garden of eveiy lover of the queen

of flowers. The other section, to which I can only casually

K^^fer, is Rosa Gallica, of which we have some fifty good vari-

^ides, all of them large, well-shaped, but in no case highly

Scented. The Provence, the Hybrid Provence, and the FrcTich

^Jioses^ are usually grown on their own roots; Hosa Alba the same;

at a few of the French are suited for working as standards;

^ad those are Boula de Nanteuil, Grandissima, Latitie, Ohl,

^hakspeare, a superb crimson; Tricolor de Fland/res, and

^riomphe de Jawteene,

Another important division of the Eose tribe is the China
JBase, of which there are three very distinct sections — the true
<7Atita, the Hybrid China, and the highly-prized Tea-scented
China. In each of these sections there are many choice varieties,
all of them suited for walls, poles, or to grow as dwarfs on
their own roots in beds and parterres. They are quite a grand
class of Eoses, their foliage and bloom are exquisitely beautiful;
and the Hybrid China is so hardy as to do well in north-east
or north-west aspects, either on walls or trellises, or trained in a
pyramidal form. The Tea Eoses are the moat delicate of the
China tribe, and hence are best suited for greenhouse culture, and
are always best on their own roots. If grown in the open ground
as standards, tbey must be taken up in JN^ovember placed against
a wall, their heads protected, and re-planted at the beginning of
March. In Devonshire and the Isle of Wight they need no such
protection. Dwarf China Eoses are lovely things for pot-culture, and
in warm situations make beautiful beds or edgings for a rosary.

Austrian, Sweet Briar, and Scotch Eoses are all early, and go
out of bloom before autumn. The Austrian section contains the
splendid Persian Yellow, which is a fine sort for a wall where
autunm flowers are not required.

The last three sections that I shall name are the most important

180 THE mosB.

of all; they are the Noisettes, the Bourbons, and the ffybrid
PerpetuaU, The Noisettes are of modem introduction, bat already
number more than thirty very fine varieties, They are adapted
to grow either as standards, dwarfs, or on poles, or for walls in
south and south-west aspects. La Biche and Triomphe de la
Ducherie are strong-growing Noisettes that may be coltiyated as
tall weeping standards for lawns. AimSe Vibert is a pure white,
suited for dwarf standards or on its own roots. Cerise, Jaune
Desprez and Cloth of Gold are also choice kinds, very distinct
in character. Jaune Desprez is a very sweet-scented Rose, of a
very exceptional colour, neither to be described as fawn or yellow
— quite a curious thing in its way, and very desirable as a climber,
or to train over an umbrella, when it makes a beautiful object.
Any of the Noisette Eoses may be turned to good account for
almost any purpose. The Noisettes are late bloomers, and hence
tell well in the garden when the first blooms of the Hybrid
Perpetuals have gone off.

Bourbon Roses are equally useful for every purpose for walls,
lawns, and poles, when worked on standards from six to eight
feet high, or for beds, borders, and pots, when grown on their
own roots. The foliage and blooms are always fine, indeed mag-
nificent, and they are, generally speaking, strong growers and
easily cultivated. The Hybrid Bourbons are the earliest, but not
the most permanent bloomers. The best for poles and tall standards
are Paul Bicaut, deep carmine; Salvator Rosa, rosy pink; Jenny,
mottled pink; Elise Mercosur, French white and pink; and Nathalie
Daniel, very fine pink.

The late-blooming Bourbons are very numerous. Those best
suited for walls and poles, are Souvenir de Malmaison, {Sir J.
Paxton, Pierre de St. Cyr, Louis Odler, Apolline, Bouquet de
Flore, Madame Desprez, and Mrs. Standish.

Lastly, Hybrid Perpetuals are unequalled for fragrance, beauty,
full-blooming, and hardiness. They are grown everywhere, and
form the chief portion of the stock of every professional and
amateur Rose grower. For greenhouse culture, in a rich loose
soil, for early forcing, and for bedding, Hybrid Perpetuals should
be grown on their own roots; but for lawns and poles worked
plants are the best, and if worked with two distinct sorts on the
same stock, the effect is splendid.

f

THE B08B. 181

Hybrid Perpetuals may be classed in three, or at least into

t^o very strongly-marked divisions. Among the first we have

^li^ose noted Hoses, Duchess of Sutherland, a splendid blush, suitable

^OT dwarf standards or poles ; Baron lAirray, a finely-shaped rosy

l>ink, also suitable for every purpose; Madame Laffay, a good

<^x4mson, but best grown as a dwarf; William Jesse, crimson and

lilae, which adapts itself either as a dwarf or a robust standard.

^^eant des Batailles, the darkest of the old crimson Hoses, and

^^Tke to be found in every good collection, though lately beaten by

^3eneral Jacquimenot and Paul Ricaut, which are of a similar

ich vermilion, but more thoroughly double than the Giant; indeed

Sosea are seldom so well double as paler sorts. Lord Harlan

the best of the new Perpetuals of the Qeant section, the colour

le and the habit good.

In selecting Hoses it would be advisable to obtain the catalogues
^Df the most noted growers, and having provisionally determined
the sorts to be purchased, to visit the nursery and see them
bloom. The lists here given are rather intended to assist the
«mateur, than to specify dogmatically which are the best. I name
"those which, in my judgment, may be most satisfactorily taken,
und from this time (July) to the middle of autumn, most of those
named may be seen in fiower, and the purchaser can determine
for himself on the spot. Hoses are extensively grown, for Hose
stock is as profitable as any to the successful grower; and a visit
to any of the great Hose nurseries will be useful in making a
selection, as well as refreahiug to that most healthy of our senti-
ments, the love of flowers.

"In a garden of delight

Have odour spirits blest thee,
Slumbering in a nest of light?
Then rest thee.

The most noted growers are Hivers, of Sawbridgeworth ; Paul,
of Cheshunt; Lane, Great Berkhampstead ; Francis, Hertford, a
noted grower of Hoses on the Manetti stock; Cranston, King's
Acre, Hereford; Godwin, Ashbourne, Derbyshire; and Harrison,
of Darlington. In London, Messrs. Henderson, of St. John's
Wood, take tbe lead for high class sorts, but none of the metro-
politan nurserymen grow Hoses to any extent; the atmosphere is
quite unsuited to them.

182 THB ROSE.

A LIST OF TWENTY FIRST-CLASS NEW ROSES. (1866.)

HYBUID PEKFETUAL.

Arthur de Sansalles, rich crimson purple, velvety. Medium size, bat quite

double. Very diHtinct and fine.
Bacchus, crimson. A great in.provement on Geant des Batailles.
General Pelissier, pale lilac rose. Very large.
General Simpson, carmine. Like Louis Odier, but deeper in tint
Josephine L^echaux, bright pink, finely cupped. Very pretty.
Louis Magnan, pure white, with blush centre. Well formed and delicate

looking.
Madame KnoiT, deep pink, with rosy centre. Very beautiful just before

the buds open.
Mathurin Reqiiicr. This is a most beautiful Rose, in the style of WilUam

Griffiths, but with larger and finer flowers.
Marquise de Murat, lilac rose. Large, globular, very doable, and

deliciously scented.
Poeonia, bright carmine. Large, cupped, and double.
Souvenir de la Reine d'Angleterre. This is a magnificent Rose, very

large and double, the colour a bright rose ; very bold ; in every way

desirable.
Souvenir du Petit Caporal, bright carmine. Very double, neat and

compact, but of rather delicate growth.
Toiijours Fleuri, crimson, shaded with violet. Large and full, and

beautiful shape. Not a free grower, but does well as a dwarf

standard.
Triomphe d*Avranches, deep red. Large, very double, and showy.
Triomphe d'Exposition, dazzling crimson. Large and beautifully formed.

Robust habit and fine foliage. Quite worthy of its name.
Victor Trouillard, fine dark rose; retains its colour well.

BOURBON.

Imp^ratrice Eugenie, rosy blush, with deep centre. .The flower large and
fine, and after the style of Malmaison. It is a splendid Rose, bat
does not always come to perfection, being very much influenced by
soil and climate.

MOSS.

Imp^ratrice Eugenie, rosy pink. Very double, and possessed of every

good quality.
William Lobb. This is described as a blue Rose by the French. Its

real colour is purplish crimson, shaded with slate, the blooms not very

THE BOSE. 189

•eU formed, but coming in immense clusters. Novel and desirable.
Te must wait a bit longer for a blue Rose.

TEA.

lella Grey. This is a real yellow Rose, fVom Carolina. It was m-
dduced by Mr. Low, of Clapton. Tt was met with by Mr. Low, Jun.,
tiilst travelling in Carolina, in the garden of the raiser, Mr. Grey,
le flowers are large, and of a golden yeUow; the habit A'ee; it blooms
$ely, and promises to bid defiance to the fiercest darts of Phoebus,
essrs. Henderson, of St. John's Wood, have the entire stock, and it
now (1867) being sent out for the first time.

TWENTY-FOUR FIRST- CLASS ROSES OF 1856.

HYBRID PERPETUAIA

•n Larray, rose. Very double, and cupped.

) Lyonnaise, flesh. Cupped.

te de Nauteuil, deep rose. Large and full, and fine shape.

1 de Francois, Willcrmoz, rich crimson, velvety. The darkest

rpetual known.

less of Norfolk, bright crimson, under side of petals shaded with

Ight pink. A capital pillar Rose or for a wall.

[ue de Meux, deep rosy purple. Large and full.

iral Jacquimenot, brilliant crimson scarlet. Belongs to the Bacchus

d Geant section, but surpasses the latter considerably.

•e de France, rich crimson. Fine shape, robust habit. Very

sirable.

Pontaine, light crimson. Very large and full; a moderately free

)wer.

Raglan. One of the many improvements on Geant des Batailles;
ge and full, and has proved worthy of its name,
ime Cambacbres, rose. Cupped, ftdl, and well formed; a free
►omer.

ime Trottaire, bright cherry. Good form and excellent habit
ime Masson, deep crimson purple. Large and i\ill; quite superb.

MOSS.

, pale pink. Double; a fine variety, but does not realize the idea

a Perpetual as it has been described.

1 de Wassendcr, light crimson. Very fine.

e des Mousses, pale rose. The best of the new Mosses.

3 de Blois, bright pink. Large; first-rate.

p

IM THX BOSS.

BOUItBOK.

Aurore de Guide. Thts is a truly splendid Rose. Brilliant crimson s ^^

and beaatifbl.
Omar Pacha, bright cherry. Neat, and very doable.

HTSKID BOUSBON.

diaries Lawson, dazzling crimson. Yeiy large; good fbrra.

HOISBTTK.

Augusta, sntphnr, well shaped; an improTement on Sohhterre. *

Marie Charg^ bright fawn, tinged with carmine. An improvement od

Ophirie.

CHINA.

Lncnllns, velvety, purplish crimson. Dark and rich, bnt hi no ivay
novel.

TEA.

BariUet Deschamps, white, shaded beneath with bright yeHow. Very
lai^ and fhll.

TWENTY OF THE
VERY BEST OLD HYBRID PERPETDALS.

Geant des Batailles, vermilion.

Baronne Prevost, blash. Large and bcautifnU

Duchess of Sutherland, blush. Splendid

Mrs. Elliott, crimson. Large and fine, bnt rather uncertain.

Mrs. Rivers, blush. Very fine.

William Griffiths, salmon pink. Neat.

William Jesse, crimson.

La Reine, brilliant rose. Large; uncertain.

Pius the Ninth, crimson lake. Compact and f^ee.

Robin Hood, lilac rosy pink. Fine shape.

Dr. Marx, rosy carmine. Superb.

Anguste Mie, rosy blush. Large, globular, and beautiful.

Baronne Hallez, crimson. Lai^e and well-formed.

Paul Dupuy, amaranthus. Very fine.

Queen Victoria, white, shaded with pink.

Souvenir de Leveson Grower, amaranthus. Large and fine.

M^re de St. Louis, beautifhl pale salmon, almost white. Large.

Lady Stuart, white, flesh centre. Fine globular shape.

Madame Vidot, blush-tinged salmon. Large and good.

Leon des Combats, dark red.

%* The first twelve are the most doslrtiible.

>

GARDEN FAVOURITES

THE

DAHLIA:

ITS

HISTORY, PROPERTIES, CULTIVATION,
PROPAGATION, AND GENERAL MANAGEMENT

IN ALL SEASONS.

BY SHIRLEY HIBBERD,

Author of "Rustic Adornments for Homes of Taste," etc.

**The raried colours run, and while they break
On the charmed eye, the exulting florist marks
With secret pride the wonder of his hand.

• • • •

Infinite numbers, delicacies, smells.
With hues on hues expression cannot paint,
The breath of nature, and her endless bloom.*'

LONDON:

JROOMBRIDGE AND SONS, PATEENOSTEE EOW.

M DOOCLTU.

GARDEN FAVOURITES

THE

DAHLIA:

ITS

HISTORY, PROPERTIES, CULTIVATION,
PROPAGATION, AND GENERAL MANAGEMENT

IN ALL SEASONS.

BT SHIRLEY HIBBERD,

Author of "Rostic Adornments for Homes of Taste," etc.

**The raried colours ran, and while they break
On the charmed eye, the exulting florist marks
With Mcret pride the wonder of his hand.

• • • •

Infinite numbers, delicacies, smells.
With hues on hues expression cannot paint,
The breath of nature, and her endless bloom."

LONDON:

&ROOMBRIDGE AND SONS, PATEENOSTEE EOW.

M DOOCLTU.

THE DAHLIA.

CHAPTER I.

Bloom on in thy beauty, sweet child of the west.
By the sunlight of heaven so softly caressM;
Bloom on in thy pride, and with statelier show,
Fling around the rich charm of thy colour and glow ;
Shed on each patient heart the sweet nmilc of thy face,
And teach us our duty in life's pressing race.

*Ti8 beauty that charms and enraptures the sense.
And gives to each moment a bliss more intense;
'Tis beauty that wins us to virtue and truth.
Making hope a fair shadow to guide us in youth;
And wherever we meet it the joys of the heart
Come around like the incense that flowers impart.

HISTORICAL AND BOTANICAL NOTES.

Florists have lately given a little attention to the beauties and
uses of our native wild flowers. The field campions, speedwells,
ragged-robins, crossworts, native heaths, and marshy plants are
about to assert their dignity, and at the very moment when the
gardens are surfeited with the gay productions of foreign lands,
we are turning to the hedge-rows for choice border-flowers, and
positively adding some of the commonest to our schemes of bedding.
Gardeners are not botanists of necessity, but the gardener who
has a taste for botany must always prefer pure botanical forms
when he produces desired effects with them, to the best productions
of floricultural art. To be sure the Dahlia is not a British plant,
and in its present state has but few claims to the affection of the

Q

186 THE DAHLIA.

botanist; but one cannot help thinking what a field of enterprise
yet unexplored, our own wildings offer to the florist, when one
remembers that it is but a few years since the Dahlia was known
only in its normal form, and was cared but little about, except
by the botanist. When we reflect upon the extraordinary changes
this one flower has undergone, the British Flora seems to offer
inexhaustible resources, and the day will come when enthusiasts,
branded for their botanical crotchets, will carry away triumphs
from the adherents to Floriculture as it is.

The merest tyro in botany will in an instant detect the place
which the Dahlia occupies in the yegetable kingdom. It is a com-
pound flower, and hence a member of the immense and interesting
order. Composite, the one hundred and eighth of De CandoUe's
arrangement. The characteristics of a compound flower are seen in
the assemblage together on one common receptacle of a number
of distinct flowers, or Jlorets, the union of which in a globular
mass constitute the flower as we view it. In dissecting a com-
pound flower, such as a daisy or a sow-thistle, we find that each
floret has its own caljrx, and its own ovary, and hence its own
set of stamens and pistils ; that which appears to form a calyx to
the system of florets, or, as we should say, the calyx of the flower,
being really an involucre, calyx-like in structure, and serving as
such to the system of florets which make up the flower.

The order of Compositce contains nearly eight thousand species,
and these of course form many tribes and subdivisions when clas-
sified into groups. From its extensiveness, and diversity of forms,
it is one of the most perplexing of any to the student, however
well the leading features of compound flowers may be understood.
The sixth sub-tribe, named JScliptea, is that to which the Dahlia
is assigned. In the Linnean system it is a member of the nine-
teenth class, Syngenesia^ and the second order, Superflua, having
in its normal form both Stamens and Pistils in the central florets,
but the florets in the circumference have Pistils only.

The Dahlia is a native of Mexico, and was first introduced to
Britain in 1789, the then Lady Bute procuring plants from Madrid,
whither they were first sent from the Spanish possessions. The
species first introduced was D. superjlua, the real parent of the
show Dahlias of the present day. It its original form it attracted

THE DAHLIA. 187

BO little attention that, according to report, the species was soon
lost through mismanagement; but in 1802, no less than five other
species were introduced, namely, crocata, scarlet; frustranea, scarlet;
and aurantia^ crocea, and lutea^ yellow; though probably these
were rather varieties of one or two species, the three last especially
having a close relationship to frustranea. Cavaniiles was the first
to describe the Dahlia, which be did in his "Icones," after having
seen it in bloom in Madrid, in 1790; and M. Thouin, of Paris,
was the first who hit upon the proper mode of growing them.
Thouin made them known by means of descriptions and coloured
figures, in 1802; and in 1804, Lady Holland re-introduced to
England the original stiperflua by means of seed from Madrid,
and from that date begins the history of the Dahlia as a cultivated
flower.

In its original wild form the Dahlia was a flower of variable
colours, with a broad disc, and a single whorl of petals, perhaps
not much better than a single marigold, and hence not very at-
tractive to the floricultural eye. For this reason it was almost
as much neglected as before in this country; but in France its
capabilities were soon understood, and the importation of some
French Dahlias in 1815, was the inauguration of a Dahlia mania,
which for a time raged almost as fiercely as the tulip-mania of
the seventeenth century. The continental varieties were splendid
flowers, and soon excited the emulation of florists, not only on
the continent, but in this country; so that from that time to the
present, though the mania has long subsided, a healthy love of the
flower has survived, and its cultivation has been so assiduously pro-
secuted, that we have thousands of distinct varieties, and every new
season adds to their number. "In form and stature it is a proteus,
in tints it is a vegetable prism. Neither are the form nor colours
constant in the same individual. The first flowers will be single,
and of one colour, and the last double, and of another hue; and
such is the versatility of the self-colour of a parent, that its
seedlings will be edged, or striped, or blotched, and altogether as
unlike the mother as change of colour can make them."

The Dahlia is now the chief glory of the September shows, and
earnest is the competition between rival growers to secure favour
for their new flowers, and accumulate prizes for sorts that take

1^8 THE DAHLIA.

the lead: At exhibitions the Dahlia is tampered with peihaps
more than any other flower, and "cut blooms" being exhibited,
gives additional facilities for a clever hand to trim up the centre,
and shape the outer petals, and so transform a middling bloom
into the semblance of a perfect one. Of course quick eyes are
always on the alert to detect such tricks; yet many a patched-up
specimen has passed muster, and taken prizes to which it was never
fairly entitled. Still it must not be inferred that Dahlia exhibitors
are more prone to unworthy acts than other people; our leading
growers of this and other florists' flowers are men of high ability
and as high moral character, and the exception in no way detracts
from their honourable regard for each other, even when competition
runs highest, or when judges, anxious to do right, seem to favour
flowers of but second merit. Indeed much of the difficulty in
judging the Dahlia arises out of the fact that the capabilities of
the flower are yet but partially developed. What have we in
pure whites? What variety in yellowsP Why, we are glad of any
light flower, even if its form be bad! and the raiser of a white
or yellow of any fair pretensions to excellence may still make sure
of realizing a fortune. Cox's Defiance — still one of the best old
yellows — was sold in dry roots for one hundred and fifty pounds,
and re-sold in dry roots for two hundred and fifty ; and by a portion
of the profits the buyer realized two thousand pounds.

Indeed as much as two thousand pounds have been paid for a
Dahlia; and as an instance the other way, the raiser of "Beauty
of the Grove," a sort that was more slandered than any Dahlia
that ever presented points of real merit, and that crowned winning
stands in shows open to "all England," the raiser of this was
compelled to litigate to get even a crumb from beneath the nur-
seryman's table, and if he got ten pounds clear of law expenses, it
is as much as he did, though, in proof of its excellenoe, it holds
a high place in all good collections.

In its constitution the Dahlia is peculiar. It is a native of the
table land of Mexico, and is found in situations where frost seldom
or never attacks it. Still it is not a tender plant; it takes heat
as kindly as any choice thing in cultivation, and it sustains itself
at a temperature as low as 28°, that is, it will bear four degrees
of frost without permanent injury, though such a temperature

THB DAHLIA . 18i

esiroy its foliage, and prevent it rallying that season. It
iTer, very hardy and enduring down to that point, and in
ind exposed situation bears the autumn night frosts better
low positions, showing that certain degrees of cold with
ir are less injurious to it than even fewer degrees of cold
Lch moisture. For this reason Dahlias bloom later in dry
ls than in damp ones, and this might be expected of a
tdch oomea from dry and exposed situation^.
)otatoe is a native of the same region as the Dahlia, and
a striking similitude of constitution between them. Both
orous annual stems, and both produce a considerable amount
rground substance during the growing season; but there
striking difference, that the tubers of the potatoe are
productions that have no general conneetion-^they are
>ed in one general crown; but in the Dahlia the fusiform
B connected by a crown, which is perennial in sending up
nd no part of the root will produce a plant unless it
a portion of this crown; whereas each tuber of the potatoe
ed with buds, each of which is capable of becoming a
Aj in the case of the potatc>e, the fleshy root of the Dahlia
; — ^it is indeed an agreeable dish when properly cooked»
petals of the flower are wholesome and pleasant additions
ad.

IdO THB DAHLIA.'

CHAPTER n.

LiKB new hope to a lost one all sadly foriom,
Thoa bringest thy btoesom when summer is gone;
As a token of beauty when sunlight departs
To cheer and enliven our desolate hearts;
So, even in sorrow some gladness may bloom,
To make holy the pathway that leads to the tomb.

SPBINO WOBE. — PBOPAGATION BY CTTTTINGS AND DIYISIONS

OF THE BOOT.

The Dahlia is so seasonal in its growth and rest, it hjbernates
so regularly and so decisiyely, and its culture comprises such s
regular routine of operations, that it will be necessary to devote
a separate chapter to eadi department of its seasonal management
and preservation, and we naturally begin with the modes of
propagating.

To propagate the Dahlia for private use, a very different plan
must be followed to that adopted by nurserymen, who, to increase
stock rapidly, resort to methods that render the stock, however
high priced, almost worthless. The fact is, new Dahlias that gain
a little fame, are in great request for many seasons afW, and the
public are content to pay five, ten, or fifteen shillings each for
plants of fashionable sorts; and as leading flowers are always in
great demand — indeed the demand usually exceeds for a time the
means of supply — stock is manufactured, and the cuttings driven
on in excessive heat and moisture, so that their constitutions are
shaken for a season at least, frequently ruined for ever. February
is quite soon enough to begin Dahlia propagation. By that time
the tubers will have had sufficient rest, and with gentle heat will
break well.

To give them their first start make up a hot-bed, and as soon
as the heat rises freely and generally, cover the surface of the
dung with coal-ashes or sand. Then examine the dry roots, and
cut away every decayed or diseased portion; — if they have been
properly kept, there will be little that require to be removed.
Where the old stem has been, daub on the root some grafUng

THE DAHLIA. 191

clay, which iserves to keep the top parts, where the incipient buds
are, in a moist condition, as well as preventing the entrance of
wet to the hollow of the root. When the roots are clayed, spread
them evenly all over the bed, working the sand or coal-ashes
amongst them, so that their crowns are just level, but not covered
by the material. Moisten the whole with tepid water, and maintain
a steady temperature of 60°, and no higher. Give water and air
rather freely, and in a short time the crowns will be full of shoots.

When the shoots are two or three inches long, it is time to
make ready for potting them. Another hot-bed will be necessary
for this work, and it is best to put each into a separate thumb
pot, though of course four or five-inch pots may be used, but then
great care must be exercised not to break the roots in the next
shift. Those crowns which have a number of shoots must be
reduced to one — a feat to be accomplished by gently moving the
shoot backwards and forwards, while held between the finger and
thumb, until it comes out of the socket. But if each shoot can
be cut dean away with a portion of the tuber attached, it will
root more quickly and surely. Where a root makes only one
shoot, it should be allowed to grow to four inches, and then cut
it dean off above the two lowest buds, which will immediately
pmh and afford two more cuttings. The cuttings are to be put
in next the pot, so as to touch it inside, even if put singly into
small pots, for they make root much more readily than when
placed in the centre. Any light, moderately rich soil will do,
with half an inch of pure silver-sand on the top, and plenty of
drainage below. Dibble them in with a small goose-quill, press
them moderately tight against the inner side of the pot, and plunge
in a hot-bed, on which a layer of coal-ashes has been spread to
keep down noxious fumes. Moderate shade and tepid water, when-
ever the top of the bed appears dry, will, in a temperature of
60^, cause them to strike quickly, and you need not lose one out
of thousands.

As soon as the pots are filled with roots, re-pot them into three-
inch pots, and at this shift use a sweet compost of one-third leaf
mould, two-thirds well-rotted turfy loam, and a little sand to keep
it open. Plunge again just to give them a start, and as soon as
they have commenced a new growth, remove them to the green-

192 THB DAHLU.

kouse or a cold pit, for from the moment that a Dahlia has fairly^
rooted, artificial heat is an injury to it, and at any time a hi^i^
temperature is its ruin. In the frames they should have air ever j ^
day, except during frosty weather, hut must he shut close at nigKi, ^
to guard them against wet or frost They will soon want another^
shift to four and a half-inch pots, and this should be giy^i ai^
floon as they have filled the small pots with roots. Nurserymen^
are compelled to keep many things in pots too small for themy—
for couTenience of packing, but a private grower should never allow
Dahlias to get pot-bound; it starves them in their in&n^, and.
materially injures their blooming.

By the process above described. Dahlias may be propagated to
an immense extent; — we have known near two hundred cuttings to
be taken in succession from the shoots supjdied by one root. Thk
may seem like overtaxing the plant, but the great evil arisee horn
the high temperature in which such sharp practice is genearallj
performed. If you have one or two dry roots of first-rate aorti,
you will act wisely to propagate them as long as you can take
cuttings fairly, and every cutting will make a good plant if pushed
on gently at a temperature of from 55 to 60^, provided the root
has had a good winter rest. But to plunge them into a temper-
ature of 70, 80, or even 90° before Christmas, and to keep the
same game going till July or August, is simply to manufacture a
lot of blanched waxen stems, that never can recover strength to
carry a decent flower. When people pay from five to fifleen
shillings for plants, such a system of producing them is really too
bad. But with fairplay, cuttings may be taken freely from Feb-
ruary to August; those taken late will of course be kept in pots
over winter to form early blooming plants next season; but even
as late as June the smallest cuttings, well managed, will make
good plants to bloom the same season.

By division of the root the propagation cannot of course be so
extensive, but an amateur, who is pretty well stocked, may not
care to do more. Cut them from the crown downwards, leaving
one or two buds to each division, and plant them out in the
middle of April; or if started earlier in a gentle heat, which ia
much the best way, pot them, and keep them safe till all fear
of spring frosts is over.

THB DAHLIA. 199

CHAPTEE III.

PLANTING OUT.

Thb majority of those who use Dahlias as a necessary part of
the general garden stock, take no trouble to propagate them, but
secure plants ready for putting out, and the time when orders
are given for them is invariably the month of May. Now if men
of high standing, such as Turner, of Slough; Brittle, of Birmingham;
Keynes, of Salisbury; Barnes, of Stowmarket; and half a dozen
others who take a pride in the flower apart from what they gain
by it, be applied to, however early or late, stock will be sent out
that may be relied on; but the majority of small nurserymen, who
get a few dry roots of noted sorts, and determine on making a
fortune by cuttings of them, supply plants that have been driven
on in heat enough to cook them, and which of course are worth-
less. I name this matter again to shew that ordering in May is
not the safest way to have a noble show in autumn. The trade
get their supplies in April, and of course have better plants than
are obtained by those who wait till May; and it is better in
ordering choice sorts to be early in the field, keep them in their
pots sheltered from frost, yet otherwise well exposed, and by the
time they are planted out they will have gained strength to set
for bloom well.

The soil to plant Dahlias in should be light, rich, and deep.
However well suited for them as to texture and general quality,
it should be liberally manured before planting, and if manured
and ridged up a fortnight before planting, it will, when levelled
down, be in better tilth, and the plants will thrive better accord-
ingly. The best Dahlia soil is a deep friable loam, which has
been trenched two spits deep in November, and ridged up till
spring, the top spit being kept at top, and the manure laid on
and dug in immediately, one spit deep in the final preparations
for planting.

Before putting in the plants, it is best to mark the places for
them, so that no error may occur in the disposition of their colours

IM THE DAHLU.

■nd heighta. A. good airangemeiit wlmi the;^ ere planted in
■trught rowa, U white, orange, purple, yellow — white, yellow, lilte,
purple — white, pnrple, lilac, Boarlet — white, scarlet, lilac, orange-
white, eto. The next thing is to place the stakes, for none W
a alorenly grower will insert like stakes after the plants are m;
it is a plan attended with risk to the roots, and eren to the itemi
of the plants, which may be snapped off by the elbow or the
knee. Give them plenty of room, for crowded Dahlias nerer
bloom well; they get drawn, and bloom weakly. Where they m
planted in compartments, which is by iar the beat way, let tl»
dwarf'growing kinds be five feet apart every way, and the tdl
ones sis, indeed if you have room you may increase the diataoM
of each one foot, with benefit to your plants, especially if Ik*

soil ia rich. The thinnings of larch plantations make the beat
stakes for Dahlias.

When the stakes are in, enter in your note-book the names of
each, according to the labels on the plants, for it is always beat
to have a duplicate arrangement in event of a label disappearing,
for birds will frequently carry off wooden tallies, as the Jsckdani
did lately some hundreds from the Botanic Gardens at Cambridge,
which they used for their nests. A careful gardener never trusts to
labels only. If the ground haa not undergone any special prepara-
tion, turn in a good spadeful of rotten dung at the foot of each
stake, and mix it well with the soil.

Dahlias will not bear frost, especially young plants that have

TBI D&HLIl. 19S

joat eome from &£ nnraery, and it is therefore a foUj to put
them out too early. K you have started them yourself, and know
that they are well hardened, you may get them in aa aoon aa
the May weather Heemg a little settled ; bat if you have received
some yaluable varieties from a noraery, it will be the beet VO
re-pot them in pote a size larger, and keep them in a cold frame
for two or three weeks, giving plenty of air and water, and gradu-
ally inuring them to exposure ^ and if they are a Uttle spindly,
top them and strike the tops, taking care, however, to leave sonu
leaves below the cut. This will strengthen them by a salutary
check, and render their final planting a safer operation. In any
ease they should be well exposed before being put out.

Choose a dry day for pluntiag; bring out the pots and stand eaeh
where the plant is to remain; and, pardon me, experienced reader.

Dshliu tied to opsUer fence.

if I give the novice a rule for turning out plants without fear
of injuring them. Open a hole with a trowel, and drop the pot
into it, level with the general surface, and fill round the pot so
as to imbed it neatly, pressing the earth to it with the baud,
just as if the pot with the plant in it was to remain there. Then
give the pot a twist round and Utt it out, and there will remain
a clean firm hole, ready for the ball that is to be dropped into
it. Place two or three fingers of the left hand on the soil of the
pot, making the palm of the hand into a hollow, so aa not to
break the tender plant, turn the pot up, give the rim a gentle
tap on the side of the wheelbarrow, and, pretto! you will have
the ball neat and completo in your hand, and have only to turn
it over neatly into the hole, which it file exactly. Dress the earth

196 THE DAHUA.

up to it, and yon will have planted it witliont hurting the tendenil
spongiole of its many juvenile roots. In re-potting and bedding
out, whenever you with to keep the ball entire, proceed in tha
same way, and you will never have an accident. When aU an
planted gather up the pots and take care qf tkem, another role
applicable to bedding generally; give a good watering, and the
next day rake the surface over, and make all neat and tidy.

Where Dahlias are used to adorn a border, they may be trained
out on a rough espalier fence, formed of hurdles or larch pdee.
In such a case the breast wood is removed, which benefits the
side ones, and when they come into bloom they form a magnificent
screen of flowers.

CHAPTER IV.

SUMMEB CULTUBB.

The first work after planting is to see that the shoots are
properly tied to the stakes as they need it. The foliage of the
Dahlia is very dense, and the stem very brittle, and unless proper
care is taken to train them out in time, the first high wind ^tH
snap oflP the unprotected branches, or they may even break with
their own weight when loaded with moisture by a heavy rain.
The superfluous shoots should be cut clean away, so as to keep
the plants well open, and the branches regularly distributed. The
cuttings will readily strike, and make an increase of stock if it
be desired; but after the end of June, cuttings put in to root
should be grown on in pots for planting out the following season,
as it is too late for them to flower the same year. There must
be an occasional inspection of the ties, to see that they do not
cut, for the stems swell and lengthen so rapidly when once they
make a fair start, that if not loosened and re- tied in time, they
may break through under the bast, and the best heads be lost.

A regular part of summer routine is the mulching of the surface
round each plant with cow-dung, which is intended to enrich the
root when water is administered, and to preserve moisture to the
joot during drought. I mention the practice here, however, only

THE DAHLIA, 197

lo oondemn it. It Ib quite true that at ereij watering some
autiiment ia carried down to the roots, and that moisture ia
presored about the surface soU; but that> the evil, for a plant
will always send its roots in the direction of nourishment, and
mulching tempts them to the surface, and they will eren work
iq>ward8 into the top layer of dung, and the rery first time that
watering is neglected the sun scorches them, and does irreparable
injury. But this is not the only objection to mulching. A layer
of dung on the surface soon becomes a harbour for insects of all kinds,
and earwigs, the bane of the Dahlia, make themselres snug in it,
unknown too often to the gardener, and at night they sally forth
and make what haroc they please among the plants, and defy all
his traps; whereas if the surface is clean they find no shelter
there, and will go into any trap that may be placed for them.
Many whose experience has taught them that mulching is an
objectionable practice, have adopted a medium course, of removing
the surface soil in a ring round each plant, then spreading a
surface of dung, and coyering it with the mould that was removed;
but though this is less prejudicial than spreading it on the surface,
still it tempts the roots upwards, whereas the more we can make
the roots of a plant, especially one of summer growth only, descend,
the more we secure it a cool moist bottom, and make it its own
protector against drought, which is a welcome relief to the labour
of watering. Put plenty of manure below, let the ground be
stirred deeply, and mulching may be done away with. However
I tell you the established practice, and I give you my commentary
on it, judge for yourself, and act according to the teachings of
experience, which, even if they have to be paid for, are a hun-
dred-fold more valuable than any precepts.

As to watering, the necessity for it may be lessened if the plants
are dealt fairly with from the first, but it will not do to leave
Dahlias to fight it out with a long drought. They must never
flag, they like moisture, and liquid manure is, highly beneficial
when they have attained to some substance, and are established
in their summer growth. The worst of watering is, when once
you begin you must not leave off till rain comes, and at every
watering drench them well, and soak the ground thoroughly; a
mere surface sprinkle is more harm than good to everything.

198 THE DAHLIA.

When tlie ground is really getting dry, first syringe the plants,
or give them a fine shower from a Bread's engine, so as to moiaten
the foliage and the top soil; then drench the roots well, andgiFe
them another fine shower to conclude with. The evening is of
course the proper time for it.

An occasional forking of the soU between the rows will be
beneficial during the summer growth; and at all times keep a
sharp look-out for insects.

CHAPTER V.

"Thouoh severed from its native clime,
Where skies are ever bright and clear,
And nature's face is all sublime,
And beauty clothes the fragrant air,
The Dahlia will each glory wear,
With tints as bright and leaves as green
As on its native plains are seen.

And when the harvest-fields are bare.
She in the sun's autumnal *ray.
With blossoms decks the brow of day.' "

Mahtik.

AUTUMNAL TREATMENT. BLOOMING.

As Dahlias proceed towards blooming, the anxieties of the
grower increase. The grand army of earwigs make their annual
campaign, and ravage the grounds in their nocturnal foraging
expeditions; then the elements wage war with them — drenching
rains, scorchiog suns, and "howling blasts" that "drive devious,"
do all they can to shake, shatter, and mar them, and yet yon
make as sure of a Dahlia show as of any one grand flower that
comes into the catalogue of fioral enterprises. And what if there
are a few difficulties to contend with; why, if floriculture could
be reduced to a rule of thumb, so that every fool could make
as sure of success as the wisest, it would not be worth an hour'a
attention from any sober man. It is the conquest of difficulty,
the warfare eternally waged against adverse circumstances, in every
pursuit of life, that makes life acceptable, that keeps it sweet, and

THB DAHLIA. 19^

bj nerving the heart-strings to persevering efforts, makes the
heart itself strong in hope, and keeps it ever leaning to the future,
and pressing to its goal.

The most important summer operation with those who intend
to exhibit, is to nip off every flower-bud as fast as it appears,
until the plants have attained their full vigour, and then to allow
only every third bud to come to maturity. The first blooms
frequently come false, and therefore it is no advantage to have
them, and by deferring * the bloom awhile, the plants accumulate
pulp, and the after blooms come true and of very superior quality.
All superfluous breast- wood must be cleared away as fast as it
' appears, and only a moderate number of the stoutest and shortest-
jointed shoots left for blooming. After a few days rain Dahlias
will frequently shoot at all points, and at such a time should be
looked over, and every break not necessary to the completeness
and symmetry of the plant should be rubbed off. All shoots thait
grow towards the centre should be cut clean off, and if any two
branches cross each other remove the weakest, and where the
flower-buds show at the top of the joints, the side shoots next
the buds must be picked out, and but a few buds left on each
remaining joint for flowering. Earwigs must be closely hunted,
and traps set for them, which must be examined daily, and the
insects blown out into salt and water.

Every bloom selected for exhibition should be shaded from the
Bun, from the moment it begins to expand to the time of its
being cut; but it is unwise to shade the yet half-formed buds,
for if they have not a good share of sunlight in their early stages,
they do not come true in colour. There are various ways of
shading Dahlias; the buds may be simply covered with a gauze
bag, drawn together at the stem, but with plenty of room for
the flower to expand. This will protect the flower from the
ravages of insects, until it can be covered with a proper shade.

It requires but little ingenuity to shade the blooms properly;
many use wire frames covered with oiled calico or oiled paper,
these are light, efllcient, and not inelegant. Another mode in
common use is a flat board mounted on a stake, so as to form
a table for a flower-pot. The table has a sHt for the stem to
pass through, and the flower is brought down upon it, and the

too

THX DAHUA.

pot placed over it. Another mode is to mount a floirer-pot on
a stake, by means of a cord passed throngh it; bat tl&eae dark
shades somewhat mar the colonrs, which require a moderate amomit
of light to be produced in perfection. Small bell-glasaea washed
with whiting and size, so as to produce a soft white light, would
be preferable to flower-pots. But the best shade is a box constructed
on purpose; it should be made of deal, with a sloping roof^ and
the front glazed to open as a door. The bottom should have a
slit to pass the stalk through, and the bloom should be brought
inside, and the glass side turned towards the north. If well made
and painted they last many years, and are the beat shades that

^1^

can be used. They may be had of Phillips and Co., of 116,
Bishopsgate Street, at from eighteen-pence to two shillings each.
Watering must be continued whenever necessary, and the ties
must be occasionally loosened and re-arranged as the stems swell
and the side shoots make progress. The strength and beauty of
the blooms may be very much promoted by watering the plants
once a week with a solution of nitrate of potash — one pound of
the nitrate to twelve gallons of water. The same solution will
be useful also for fuchsias, carnations, and chrysanthemums. I
have used it for most kitchen crops with especial benefit, especially
lettuces and celery.

THB DAHLTA. 201

CHAPTEE VI.

Tbo' from tbe earth no more supplies they gain,
The splendid form, in part, and lovely hue remain.

OIT EXHIBITING THE DAHLIA. PROPERTIES OF SHOW-FLOWERS.

What a splendid spectacle is a bed of Dahlias in full bloom!
and if we oould attain to that philosopher's stone of floriculture,
a real blue, the world would go frenzied, and would live on Dahlias
for three months every year. It is said to be impossible, and in
direct opposition to the law of colours in the vegetable kingdom.
But what do we know of the law of colours, are we not in our
infancy as to the study of vegetable physiology; if a blue tropaeolum
and a golden yellow rose have been obtained at last, why may
we not hope for some day obtaining a blue DahliaP Philosophers
may pooh, pooh, the idea, but they must assign the limit of
possibility in the sporting of flowers, before we accept their data
as to what may take place within it. As to colours generally,
crimsons, scarlets, plums, and maroons are plentiful ; good yellows
are rather scarce, and hence highly prized, but whites most scarce
of all. Fancy flowers are getting more and more fashionable, and
on the exhibition stand they have a charming effect if well grouped.
They should be grown in somewhat poor soil; if the soil is loaded
with manure they are apt to run back to selfs.

In sending blooms to Exhibitions, it is necessary to have a few
boxes made expressly for the purpose, to hold sets of twelve,
eighteen, or twenty-four blooms each. The lid may be on hinges,
or, better still, made loose, so as to lift off*. At a proper distance
below the lid there should be a flat division, or shelf fitting tight
to the box inside, and this should be pierced with holes to receive
a number of tin tubes to hold water. Pass the stem of each flower
through a cork or wooden plug made to flt firmly in the top of
the tube, and if the parts are well and firmly fitted, so that the
tubes cannot wriggle about, they will travel safely any distance,
and keep fresh to the end. Boxes for twelve blooms are preferable*

202

THB DAHLIJL>

and two may be placed together to make a twenty-lbor stand,
but the cautious exhibitor will send a third box containing dupU-
cates to supply any that may suffer damage on the way. If the
flower-stems do not fit tightly in the perforated corks, plfig in a
little paper, and mount them all in a firm manner; and without
a single wound to the stems. The blooms should be cix6 late on
the evening preceding the day of exhibition, unless the distance
is great, in which case cut very early in the morning, while the
dew is on them.

"Properties" are everything with Dahlias, and judges count
points as bankers do coins;, that is,, with sharp eyes for counter-

feits, and those below the standard. The rules generally agreed
upon are: —

Ist. — The flower should in the outline of its disc present the
figure of a circle, and in bulk form two-thirds of a ball. The
rows of petals should describe regular rings,^ and should lie over
each other as evenly and regular as the slates on a new roof; the
sizes gradually diminishing^ to the centre, which should be **well
up" before the back or guard petals fail.

2nd. — The petals should lie close over each other, so as to con-
ceal their bases; they should be broad at the ends, free from

THB DAHLIA. 203

notok or serratiire, firm in substance, and smootli in textvre. They
should gently cup, but not so much as to "reflex," or show the
under sides. Each row of petals should be of the same size, the
sizes gradually diminishing upwards, and equally expanded in the
TOWS; the centre should be close, firm, neat, and well coloured.

3rd. — The colour should be dense and clear; for, however good
the form, poverty of colour renders them worthless. Edged flowers
should have their tints clearly defined, and penetrating through
the petal with an appearance of solidity; loose blotches andehance
stains being blemishes that no judge will excuse.

4th. — Size is not of so much importance, and many of the most
desirable flowers vary considerably in this respect. But if good
in other respects, the larger the flower the better.

Mr. Glenny, whose judgment of properties is law, makes the
following remarks on the "Faults of Dahlias:" —

There are many decided faults in our best Dahlias, and there
is a great laxity among persons who presume to be judges, because
they do not weigh the blemishes when deciding upon the rank a
flower should hold. High shoulders, flat faces, indented petals,
sunk eyes, confused eyes, thin petals, ribbed petals, pointed petals,
narrow petals, vacancies between the petals, quilled petals, soft
petals: here are twelve decided faults. Then a flower may be
too open, that is to say, like so many wide-mouthed funnels; and
the petals may form a rosette instead of a smooth outline, or may
be deficient of a true circle — inclined to oval or irregular surface,
even if smooth. Some shew the under side of their petals, which
are invariably a worse colour than their faces. The texture may
be papery instead of velvety; the petals may be too broad; the
flowers may, according to the fashion, be too small or too large.
We have here made out twenty distinct faults that may be
found among Dahlias, and in four cases out of every five judges
will call a variety first-class with half-a-dozen of these blemishes,
that would be seen in an instant by a connoisseur. We never
thought half-a-guinea too much for a first-class flower, but we
dispute the rank which new flowers are pronounced worthy to
hold when they should be placed in the second or third. But
we have another fault yet to record, and we have been suspected
of shirking it, because we have written favourably of particular

204 THE DAHLIA.

flowers wliich hare it in a remarkable degree-— we mean reflexed
petals. Princess Eadzville, which we patronized, haa reflexed
petals; Morgan's Xing of the Dahlias still more, and yet we
pronounced these two flowers good. WhyP Because of the
twenty-one faults common to Dahlias, the reflexed petals is oofy
one, and when we judge a flower, we can see how many of the
faults detract from its excellence, and we hold the great propert i ei
to corer a multitude of sins. If it be round in the outline,
form two-thirds of a ball, centre well up, petals symmetrical,
and flowers compact, we can aflbrd it to lose the one point»
and yet place it high.

CHAPTER VII.

WINTER CULTUEE — TAKING UP AND STORING THE TUBBBS.

In former treatises I have dwelt upon the necessity for allow-
ing plants to go to rest naturally, and especially of allowing
those that have tuberous or bulbous roots — which roots at taking-
up time contain the germs of the next season's blossoms — ^to
accumulate their sap from the stems, their removal before the
sap has fairly descended being decidedly prejudicial. This applies
to the Dahlia, which is cut down by the first frosts, and espe-
cially if those frosts are accompanied with damp; but there
should not for that reason be any undue haste in taking up the
tubers. When the tops turn black, cut them down to a healthy
green part of the shoot, and allow the green stems to remain
until they also begin to blacken; and by that time the tubers
will be ripened, and their sap stored up for another season's
growth. A few slight frosts, however they may act upon the
foliage, do no harm to the tubers; on the contrary, the check
above hastens them into rest, and gives their juices that viscid
character which is an evidence of a complete cessation of growth
for the season. A frost which would get into the ground a few
inches, would of course do much mischief, but Dahlias are
stored away out of its reach long before it acquires such severity.

When you cut them down finally, which should be done as

THB DAHLIA. 206

BOOH as tiie tops wiilier, take up the roots at once, and if they
eome clean out of the ground dry them gently, and store away
in any dry place secure from frost, labeling each to prevent
confusion at next season's planting. But if the soil clings to the
tubers they must be washed and dried before being stored away.
With yaluable sorts it is a good plan to strike two or three of
each kind late in August, to keep through the winter; but the
soil must be perfectly dry before they are put to rest, and no
wet or frosts allowed to reach them. A good place for them is
to lay the pots on one side under the stage of a greenhouse.
They must be occasionally examined during the winter, and all
decaying stems or roots removed.

It is a very safe plan to liang them roots upwards, in a
dark dry shed; or to spread them on one side in clean wicker
baskets, and cover with short dry hay, and place the baskets
in a dry airy loft. In looking them over occasionally, take care
to throw away any that are decayed, unless they are of valuable
sorts, in which case, wash them clean, cut away the infected por-
tions, and dry them again, but do not mix such with other tubers,
for they may again commence decaying, and will taint any that
are in their vicinity. They keep better, and come out cleaner if
taken up in dry weather, but at the season for such operations^
dry weather cannot always be waited for.

CHAPTER VIII.

PESTS OF THE DAHLIA.

Thb succulent nature of the Dahlia renders it a welcome feast
to many insect tribes. In its early stages of growth, caterpillars
and slugs are its principal enemies. A quick eye and a vigilant
hand will do much to keep these down, or they are trapped by
means of cabbage or lettuce leaves put down at night and taken
up early next morning. In dewy mornings a dusting with fine
quick lime, by means of the Boite a Houppe, will prove effectual
against the multitudes of small slugs that are so plentiful in sum*
mer, and in dry weather watering with clear lime-water will be

£06 THE dahlia;

useful. If slugs prevail to any great extent, make a <nrcle of
fresh lime round each plant, and every morning gather up all the
slugs that are visible on or about the plants.

Another enemy is the thrips, which sucks the juices, and takes
the very colour out of the blossoms; or if they be white, the
thrips still injure them by staining the petals, and spoiling their sub-
stance. The thrips are most prevalent in dry weather — moisture ii
their great enemy, and hence the chief preventive is the syringe.
If once the thrips get the upper hand, all the early blooms will
be ruined, but they may be kept under by copious drenchingfl
till the autumn renders it unnecessary.

But the earwig, (ForficuJa auricularisj is the great untiring
enemy, whose guerilla warfare is most harassing, and against him
special implements of assault must be prepared. He comes at
night, makes his feast, and retires before morning. You cannot
prevent his advances, for he is winged, and can alight where he
pleases. You must meet him by stratagem, and take him in well-
laid toils. Here it is that the earwig has more to answer for than
the mere havoc he commits, for sober people who love DahHas
forget all the lessons of grace their flowers teach them, and con-
vert their gardens into Golgothas ; they stick lobster claws, flower-
pots, cockle shells, and all kinds of ugly and abominable objects
high in air as earwig-traps, so that the very ground which is
dedicated to the beauties of Flora is made to grin horribly with
death's heads and cross-bones.

But these ugly things are efficient traps, and so they are borne
with. A little moss stuffed into a flower-pot mounted on a stick
will prove a real good trap for earwigs, as indeed will anything
of a dark close nature, into which they can retreat as they come
from their nocturnal forays. Some use bean-stalks dried and cut
into six-iiich lengths, the stalks of the sunflower, or Jerusalem
artichoke are also applicable. The stems of Heracleum giganieum
make capital traps, if cut into lengths ending about an inch and a
half above every joint. As soon as they are dry, stuff" a few leaves
of any kind in at the joint-end of the tubes to darken them, and
tuck the tubes in anywhere amongst the stems of the Dahlias, and
every morning they will be found full of the insects — ^that is if
you have any. The tubes may even be painted for appearance

THE OAHLU. 2W

m][«, ftnd BO preeerred for several successive seasons. Bat the
most efficient implement is that knoirn as "Kd wards' Earwig
Trap," a few of which should be in the posseseion of eTerj
lover of a garden, first, because by its means the ground maj
be cleared of every earwig in "no time," and secondly, becsuM
they abolish at once and for ever those abominable beaks, snouts.
and tin-pot decoratioDS that so many resort to who grow Dahlias.
It is really a wonder that flowers have courage to open their
pretty eyes when such ugly monsters are day and night stAring
and grinninf; at them.

Edwards' Earwig Trap is here figured. Fig. 1. represents ite
ext«mal appearance, which is that of a bell-shapEd box; it is
made of iron, japanned, and its colour a dark ohve green i it is
three inches in diameter at bottom, and four inches high. In
Fig. 2 the inner construction is shewn. A is a fluted cone open
at top and bottom. B is another cone of plain metal, joined to
the top of the cone A, but having a wider base, so that there
is a clear space about half-an-inch wide between the cone A and

808 THE DAHLIA.

the oone B. C is a third cone, joined to the top of the othen,
but spreading at the bottom, bo as to leave about half-an-inch
space between it and the middle cone B. D is the outer case,
fitting closely round the base of the cone A. E is a moveable
lid or cover.

In using the trap, the training stick is placed inside the cone
A, the projecting portions of the flutes hold the stick tightlj,
and there are spaces for the insects to crawl up; a little ooaiee
sugar is placed inside the trap. The insects enter the trap
through the opening at the top of the cones, and passing dowi
the outside of the cone C, drop on to the bottom of the case,
D; they are now effectually imprisoned, for there is no other
outlet than the hole by which they entered, to reach which thej
must traverse the whole up-and-down route indicated by the
dotted lines and arrows in Fig. 2, besides which they will ham
to turn the sharp angles at the bottom of the cones, a prooeN
almost impossible to them from the peculiar construction of
their bodies, the legs being aU at one end, and the chief weiglit
at the other.

Here then is a certain means of ridding Dahlias of their
most inveterate enemies; the efficiency of the invention may be
judged from the fact that such florists as Mr. Turner, Mr.
Keynes, and other of the most celebrated Dahlia growers in
England, trust entirely to them for trapping these abominable
vermin. Mr. Edwards says that "as many as sixty earwigs have
been caught in one trap in a single night." It should be added
that their appearance is ornamental, and being japanned of a
neutral green, they do not obtrude upon the eye as all other
objects do that are used for the same »purpose. They may be
obtained of the inventor, Mr. E. Edwards, St. Paul's Square,
Birmingliam.

THB DAHLIA. 209

CHAPTEE IX.

SEBDLING DAHLIAS.

Thb DaMia sports freely, and affords a fine field of enterprise
fyr the ambitions florist. As it is a late bloomer, it is necessary
to be in time if seed is to be saved of any desirable varieties,
and early blooms should be marked for the purpose, so as to
have it well ripened before ungenial weather sets in. Save only
from the best models of form and colour; the double flowers
which are partially fertile are those to be preferred. Gather the
seed as soon as ripe, and hang the pods in a dry shady place,
and as soon as they turn brown, separate the seeds, dry them
in the sun, and stow away till the following March. They are
then to be sown in light rich soil, and placed in a gentle heat,
and, as soon as large enough, transplanted into small pots, after
which their treatment assimilates to that described for cuttings*
As soon as frosts are past, plant them out in a good light soil
a foot apart, and treat in every respect according to the instructions
already given. Seed may be sown in the open air at the beginning
of May, and with such treatment very fine plants may be pro-
duced. As soon as they bloom inspect them carefully, and throw
away all that are defective in good qualities, saving the best for
another season's blooming to "prove them," after which ordeal
those of real value may be propagated in the usual way. The
best of seeds is that every one has a chance; a shilling packet,
if well saved, will be pretty sure to produce some real good
flowers, even if many bad ones; and half-a-dozen well-doubled,
well-shaped varieties are worth the little trouble required to produce
them.

210 THB DAHLIA.

CHAPTEE X.

DAHLIAS IN BOBDEBS AND 8HBUBBEBISS.

Enough has been said already as to the constitution and general
coltore of the Dahlia to enable any one who may have no idea
of ever becoming an exhibitor, and who may even shrink firom
entering on high-class amateur labours, to use the Dahlia sno-
cessfully as a border ornament, for which it is, indeed, so well
suited an account of the richness and lateness of its blooms. Bat
as some few of the operations may be simplified for those who
"don't want much bother," I will here make a few additional
notes.

K you want good Dahlias at little cost, select the best old
sorts, and either get young plants early in May, and put them
out as directed in Chapter III., or secure dry roots early in iihe
winter, when they may be had at a low rate; and at planting
time each root may be split in two, provided there is a bud to
each division, and may be planted out at once where they are
to remain; not, of course, till frosts are over. Or, if you like
to take a little extra trouble, you may start the roots by
planting them in some light loose earth in a box, and keep
this in a warm room till the roots shew signs of breaking,
when they may have the benefit of the sun every day, and
be taken in at night. If this be commenced in March or early
in April, the plants kept moderately moist, and exposed as
much as may be safe for them, they will be in a forward
state by the middle of May, and may then be divided to greater
advantage, and planted out in their blooming quarters. If you
are in haste to plant them out, take care to place an empty
flower-pot over each at night, stopping the hole with a piece of
tile to confine the heat which rises from the earth, and keep
out the night frosts. Where Dahlias are extensively grown, the
plants intended for early blooming are very carefully tended in
this way even till the end of May, and in a limited garden such
an attention can hardly be considered irksome, and it gives the

THB DAHLIA. 211

;e of abundance of bloom a fortnight earlier than they
)therwi8e be obtained. Bedding Dahlias, such as the
r, and some few dwarf show varieties, make grand beds
d down judiciously. The Crystal Palace has, no doubt,
>ed many on the use of Dahlias as bedders, though Dahlia
t quite old features in many of the best gardens. The
inds may even be used for bedding, if, when they have

full growth, you take them firmly in the hand near the
d give the stem a twist so as to crack it longitudinally,

breaking it transversely, then lay them down in any
lent you like, and abundance of blooms will be the result
ight check which the twist will give them. But, of course,
owing kinds with rich colours, the form being of less con-
, are the best for the purpose. Gaines^s Dwarf, a purple

twenty -four inches; Mrs. Labouchere, buff, thirty inches;
irthur, a magnificent crimson, twenty-six inches; and any
"telindaSf according to the colour required, the purple and
>eing best of them, are those which a beginner should
it to, and other sorts introduced to the system as ezpe-
ay suggest,

• Lately raised by Mr. Fleming, of Trentham.

212 THB DAHLIA.

SELECTION OF VARIETIES.

: FOURTEEN NEW DAHLIAS OF THE HIGHEST MEBIT.

Lad J Popham, (Turner.) White, delicate! j tipped with lavender; of the

finest form. The best Dahlia of its class; a winning flower; four feet>
Cherub, (Holmes.) Bright light orange yellow ; good form, and veiy eon-

stant. A striking new variety; four feet.
Midnight, (Fellowes.) Dark maroon, nearly black, shaded and 'edged with

purple. Truly a magnificent flower, (frontispiece two-thirds natural size;)

three to four feet.
Mrs. Turner, (Church.) Quite new in character; fawn colour, withydkrf

at the base of the petals, the ground colour becoming more conspieiioBS

as the season advances. Very full, and of fine form ; four feet.
Roland, (Bush.) White, heavily tipped with crimson purple, resembling

Lizzie, but nearly twice the size, fine and constant; four feet.
Royal Scarlet. (Keynes.) A superb colour, fine form ; three feet and a bal£
Touchstone, (Fellowes.) Light rosy purple, a broad-petaHed Mr. Seldon,

early bloomer, and fine; three to four feet
Duchess of Beaufort, (Bush.) Blush white, tipped and edged with dark

purple, a full constant flower. One of the finest varieties for exhibition;

four feet.
Mrs. Edwards, (Summers.) Peach lilac, a full, neat, well-formed flower,

very delicate in colour; three to four feet.
Delta, (Turner.) Yellow, of fine substance and form ; three feet.
Saturn, (Turner.) Clear bright yellow, edged and tipped with red, fine

form and a striking fiower, but a little uncertain ; three feet.
Mont Blanc, (Fellows.) Pure white, never changing in the hottest weather;

fine petal and outline; four to five feet.
Cardinal, (Skynner.) Very bright scarlet, good form, a useful fiower;

three feet.
Fenella, (Holmes.) White, deeply veined and tipped with purple, an ex-
cellent early variety; three feet.

THIRTY FIRST-CLASS OLD VARIETIES.

Annie Salter, (Salter.) Delicate peach ; four feet

Beauty of the Grove, (Burgess.) Bufi', tipped with carmine; three feet.

Beauty of Slough, (Bragg.) White, heavily mottled and tipped with crimson

purple; five feet.
Bob, (Drummond.) Bright scarlet; four feet

THB DAHLIA. 213

chess of Wellington, (Turner.) Soft pale cream-colonr. It is verj foil

:nd doable, having a number of well-formed and well-arranged petals,

iith high centre, fine; two to three feet

chess of Cambridge, (Barnes.) White, heavily edged with crimson,

howy ; four feet

ke of Wellington, (Drununond.) Orange ; four feet

ipse, (Wheeler.) Very dark purple; a very useful fine-shaped flower,

dth high centre and good general furm; three to four feet. ^

iny Keynes, (Keynes.) Buff, tipped with crimson purple; large.

ind Saltan, (Turner.) Dark maroon, opens nearly black. It is occasion-

lly shaded with crimson, which gives it a rich appearance ; of excellent

)nn. A desirable variety for exhibition ; four feet.

omparable, (Ablitt.) Crimson red, fine petal and outline; three feet

■d Palmerston, (G. Holmes.) Deep crimson scarlet, a large fine-shaped

ower ; constant and general good properties. It is large enough for the

>ack tier, and has a close compact centre; four to five feet.

lipop, (G. Holmes.) Salmon bufi", shape good, being nearly two- thirds

f a ball, having a very high centre, with fine rounded shoulder. The

•uter petals reflex. It should be grown vigorously, but being above the

.▼erage size, should be allowed to carry a considerable number of

»looms; flve feet

iy Franklin, (Rawlings.) Shaded salmon, good form and centre ; four feet

dy Mary Labouchere, (Turner.) White, tipped with lavender, fine early ;

wo feet.

rd Bath, (Wheeler.) Crimson, a noble variety ; three feet

rd Cork, (Wheeler.) Crimson purple, fine close centre, and very constant ;

hree to four feet.

rd Raglan, (Dodds.) Buff; three feet.

ss Burdett Coutts, (Turner.) New colour, fawn, with a smooth well-

brmed petal, without the least rib or indentation, constant, and of fine

labit; four feet.

•s. Wheeler, (Wheeler.) Rich deep scarlet, fine smooth petal ; four to

ave feet

mdora, (Fauvel.) Shaded claret, with small bronze tip, large bold show

flower, very constant; three to four feet

xfection, (Keynes.) Bright orange, of good shape, medium size, figured

In the "Florist" for January, 1856; three feet

e-eminent, (Fellowes.) A full-sized flower, rich deep purple, of great

depth and substance; three feet

incess Radziwill, (Gaines.) White, tipped with purple; three feet

leen of Whites, (Bush.) White; two feet,

)bert Bruce, (Bush.) Orange, full and constant; three feet

>yal Scarlet, (Keynes.) Crimson scarlet, deep and full, good petal and

shape; three to four feet

214 THB PAHLIA.

Royal White, (Lawton.) Pare white, with a stoat smooth petal and good

form; three to foar feet.
The Nigger, (Fellowes.) Very dark maroon; three feet.
Tyrian Prince, (Turner.) Shaded plum-colour; two to three feet,
lellow Beauty, (Turner.) Bright yellow, good form, very constant, graceful

fiee-blooming habit. The hottest weather does not in the least change

its colour; four feet.

TWELVE VERY CHOICE FANCY DAHLIAS.

•

Cleopatra, (Salter.) Orange yellow, distinctly striped with crimson scarlet,

a bright new vaiiety, very dissimilar to any existing kind, the petal

and general form being equal to the sclfs. It is very constant, both in

its marking and in producing good double flowers; four feet. (New.)
Alliance, (Perry.) A dark striped variety, with lilac ground, heavily spotted

and striped with dark maroon; four to five feet. (New.)
Admiration, (Green.) White and scarlet, very constant and attractive;

three to four feet.
Baron Alderson, (Perry.) Bright orange, with a white tip on each petal;

large and attractive; two to three feet.
Butterfly, (Salter.) Yellow, striped and spotted with red, good ; two feet
Carnation, (Keynes.) White, striped with purple, a new variety in colour,

and of good petal and form ; three to four feeL
Fancy King, (Legge.) Orange buflf, tipped with white, good form; three

to four feet.
Inimitable. (Salter.) A fine-shaped striped variety, bright orange salmon,

striped and spotted with deep crimson; three feet.
Imp^ratrice Eugenie, (Miquet.) Pure white, edged with purple ; three feet.
Jenny Lind, (Girling.) Maroon, tipped with white; two feet.
Lady Paxton, (Dodds.) Dull red, tipped with white, fine petal and form;

four feet.
Tattycoram, (Slipper.) Dark maroon, tipped with white; four feet.

SEVEN DWARF BEDDING DAHLIAS.

Captain Ingram. Dark crimson, free-flowering, should not be disbudded ;

two feet.
Crystal Palace Scarlet. Free- blooming, flowers small and brilliant
Prince Arthur. Crimson, fine erect habit, large flowers; eighteen inches.
Queen of Whites. Pure white, free bloomer; two feet and a half.
Titian. Bright yellow, flowers loose, but showy; two feet and a halt
Purple Zelinda. Purple, good habit; two feet.
White Zelinda. Lately raised by Mr. Fleming ; will, no doubt, prove of

great value.

GARDEN FAVOURITES.

THE

HRYSANTHEMUM:

ITS

HISTORY, PROPERTIES, CULTIVATION,
PROPAGATION, AND GENERAL MANAGEMENT

IN ALL SEASONS.

BY SHIRLEY HIBBERD,

Author of **Ilu8tic Adornments for Ilomes of Taste," etc.

**The varied colours run, and while they break
On the charm'd eye, the exultinfir florist marks
With secret pride the wonder of his hand.

• • • •

Infinite numbers, delicacies, smells,

With hues on hues expression cannot paint,

The breath of nature, and her endless bloom."

LONDON:

ROOMBKIDGE AND SONS, PATERNOSTEE EOW.

M DCOC LVII.

THE CHEYSANTHEMUM.

CHAPTER I.

*Thebs is a beautiful spirit breathing: now
In mellow richness on the clustered trees,
And, from a beaker full of richest dyes,
Pouring new glories on the autumn woods.
And dipping in warm light the pillared clouda.
Mom, on the mountain, like a summer bird.
Lifts up her purple wing; and in the vales
The gentle wind— a sweet and passionate wooer-
Kisses the blushing leaf, and stirs up life
Within the solemn woods of ash deep^rimsoned.
And silver beech, and maple yellow-leaved, —
When Autumn, like a faint old man, sits down
By the wayside a-weary. Lomofbllow.

AUTUMN MUSINGS.

The Chrysanthemum is an emblem of both sadness and glad-
ness. It represents the decay and death of Nature, when the
floral glories of the year sink into a common grave, and perish
together. It is the last of its proud race of beauties, and as the
*'day dies like the dolphin," so the year arrays itself in all its
most gorgeous hues to meet its death-doom. The last flowers are
the most dazzling of all, and take a tone of grandeur befltting
the ruddy sacrifice that every copse, wood, and hill-side celebrates
in the flery splendours of a thousand sunsets. As the summer
comes to its last hours, the bedding plants make their final efibrt,
and the ground is all a-blaze with scarlet, orange, and white, so
that a burning prairie is nothing to it; except for the terror it
might inspire. Then come the hollyhocks, like cressets set to

s

216 THE CHRYSANTHEMUM.

adorn the fiineral path; then dahlias, and last of all Chryeanthe-
mums, that surpass all the rest in splendour, and that light tlie
leafy mausoleum of the gay seasons, when every flowery mourner
has departed, and the last hush of autumn quietude has set in
to hallow the repose of nature.

If spring gives us the tender bursting leaf, and the gushing
song of the bird, that call a tear to the eye for the glad restora*
tion; if summer gives us the funness of life, pulsing and beating
in its hey-day of power, autumn concentrates their glories in one
grand display of funeral banners and sacrificial fires, that hgbt
the way to the common grave of rural beauty. With all its
glory of brown wheat-sheaves, burning woods, and the picturesque
forms that move over the landscape in the glad work of gathering
in the autumn store, there is in all things a tone of melancholy
that strangely adds to the enjoyment of contemplation, though
it springs from the consciousness that soon the curtain will fall
upon the scene, and every feature of the panorama will be darkened.
The very mists that make the mornings sublime seem like the
ghosts of sunmier friends that have already perished; the purple
of the slanting evening sunbeams is but the foretoken of Death
on his march; the loaded wain, and the everlasting quiet that
permits the hum of human life to be heard in the remotest solitude,
strangely combine to oppress the heart even when its raptures
are at the highest.

Just as the gardens make one grand efibrt at the close, so the
hedgerows and waysides acquire an intenser lustre, though the
first frost is at hand, which is to cut all things down. The forest
walks, where the hungry sand will scarcely produce a tufl of green
all the summer long, now shine with the gold of millions of rag-
worts ; the brookside has its myriad spikes of ly thrum and willow-
herb arrayed in fulgid hues; the copse and the glen show their
brakes already touched with brown; here and there the dash of
crimson and orange goes over the elms and maples, as if a burning
hand had passed and swept away the verdure with its touch;
and while the last rose sobs heavily upon its stem, the storm
drops down, the breath of winter is felt and heard from the north,
and one night of frost brings down the dark curtain over the
face of nature. Then comes the sleep and rest, from which all

THB CHBY8ANTHSMUM. 21T

igs will awaken at the call of spring, so typical of man's descent
the grave, whence, at the sound of the last trumpet, he shall
) again to a glorious immortality. "It is sown in corruption;
B raised in incorruption; it is sown in dishonour; it is raised
glory; it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power; it is sown
latural body; it is raised a spiritual body. And as we have
ne the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the image of
heavenly." May faith in God and hope in heaven be the
n of every lover of flowers, to whom especially the Saviour's
on of a lily will be acceptable as the highest teaching drawa
n humblest things.

*Tather,
My heart is awed within me, when I think
Of the great miracle that still goes on
In silence round me— the peri)etaal work
Of Thy creation, finished, yet renewed
For ever. Written on Thy works I read
The lessons of Thine own eternity.
Lol all grow old and die; but see again,
How on the faltering footsteps of decay
Youth presses— ever gay and beautiful youth.
In all its beautiful forms.

Oh there's not lost
One of earth's charms ; upon her bosom yet,
After the flight of untold centuries.
The freshness of her far beginning lies,

And yet phall live."

Bbtant.

218 THl CHBT8ANTHEHUM.

CHAPTEE II.

CHfiTSANTHEMUM JOTTINGS.

Wb are all of us rather too apt to give way to enthusiasm,
and the first consequence of that is that we must exaggerate.
Here I have been extolling flower after flower, and, I assure
you, very sincerely, because I do love them from my heart,
and now that I come to the Chrysanthemum I feel a desire to
elevate it above all others, or at least to give it a place only
second to the rose. There are not many who will care to go
that length with me, nevertheless I feel that this is a flower
possessing merits that need no peculiar individual tastes to ap-
preciate, no special and eccentric "fancy" to discern them, because
they are potent and proveable, and hence entitled to universal
admiration. What flower can we choose with which to produce
such magnificent effects with so little trouble? It comes at a
season when the merest weed in bloom is welcome, and it gives
us an exhibition that almost surpasses the whole array of summer
flowers. It will prosper and make a gay show in the poorest
soil, and with no attention at all, and it can be improved to
almost any extent by the patient adoption of such expedients as
the florist uses in order to gain a desired end; even then there
is no high -class subject that admits of such simple and easy
treatment. It does well as a border flower, as a window orna-
ment, and is grand in either greenhouse or conservatory, while
at exhibitions it surpasses all things, not even the rose excepted,
as witness the Chrysanthemimi fStes of Stoke Newington, Ipswich,
and Colchester, where any one who doubts my judgment as to
its high excellence will surely be made a convert. Then it is so
hardy, so strong in growth, so abundant in bloom, so ready to
sport and change, and, lastly but not leastly, it braves town
smoke unhurt, and may be made as surely successful under the
shadow of St. Paul's as amid the purest mountain breezes. There
has been a good deal said about the Temple Gardens, and the
triumph of floriculture under adverse circumstances, but from many

THB ORBTSAITTHEMTTX. 219

an inspeetion whieh has ended in disappointment, I, for one, cannot
agree that those grounds have ever yet attained to the condition
of excellence which I believe to be possible, except in Chrysan-
themums, and the collections of these by Mr. Broome and Mr.
Dale are undoubtedly worthy of the enthusiasm of Londoners,
and a liberal reward to the patient gardeners who so ably cultivate
them. This, indeed, is especially a London flower; it is best shown
in or near the metropolis; the farther we go from London the
more we find the culture of it less and less understood.

It is nearly two hundred years since the first description of
the Chrysanthemum as an European flower appeared, and the
author of that first description was Breynius, who, in the second
part of his "Prodromus Plantarum Bariorum," published in 1689,
described it as the "Matricaria Japonica maxima, with most ele-
gant double, rosy, or light red flower." He enumerated five va-
rieties, namely, the white, purple, dull yellow, flesh-coloured, and
crimson. Breynius and Flunkett both describe its Japanese name
to have been Kychonophane; and as a proof that by this name
the Chrysanthemum was meant, we have Thunberg's evidence in
his "Flora Japonica," that the Japanese name of the Chrysanthe-
mum is Kiko 710 f anna. As in the case of many other noted flowers,
the Chrysanthemum was lost soon after its introduction to Europe,
and it was not till 1789 that it was re-introduced, and in that
year a plant of the purple variety was brought to France from
China, and described by M. Eamatuelle in the "Journal Histoire
Naturelle;" so that its culture has been practised but little more
than half a century, Li 1790, M. Ceis sent a few plants to Kew,
but a nurseryman, Mr. Colvill, of King's Boad, was the fortunate
man to bloom it first, and his specimen was figured in the "Bo-
tanical Magazine," t. 327. This purple flower was a variety of
Csinetue, and the parent of the many splendid sorts we now
possess. With the Chinese this has long been a great favourite,
and Mr. Fortime says it is "the Chinese gardener's favourite still."
In its production they lavish every care, and the number of
varieties they possess is very considerable.

The Chrysanthemum is a compound flower, and in the Natural
System it is classed with the asters, and has many English
representatives, a few of which find favour with gardeners. In

220 THB CHBTSAKTHXMUIC

its oonstniction it yery closely resembles the daisy, and its alliei
of tlie field and hedge-row are the great oxeye daisy, the pretty
yellow flower common in corn-fields called Ckrysantkemum Megeiru^
or wild marigold, the feverfew, the wild chamomile, the common
ragwort, the groundsel, and many others more or less known.
In the garden its kindred are the asters and others, that irere
enumerated and referred to in the botanical chapter on the daUift.
In the Linnean System the Chrysanthemum is classed in Syngenm
superflua, and is henc« closely related to the dahlia as to the
construction of its organs of fructification.

CHAPTEE III.

CAPABILITIES, VABIETIES, AND PB0PERTIE8.

The Chrysanthemum, as already remarked, ofiers a splendid
field for the ambitious florist, for in either cut blooms or plants
it is one of the grandest in its effects at exhibitions, and its culture
is for many reasons eminently suited for amateurs. It requires
but few of those appliances which make amateur gardening an
expensive hobby, and one that needs vigilant daily attention. You
may do without pits, hot-beds, propagating houses, and even green-
houses and conservatories, and still attain to a high excellence,
and even beat the nurserymen, who are generally supposed to
carry all before them; indeed, there are few nurseries that can
show either such specimens or such high-class varieties as those
amateurs who have taken up the flower in earnest. Look at what
has been done in Stoke Newington alone, where the first Chry-
santhemum society was established in 1846. There we see in the
middle of November every year such a constellation of floral
beauties as almost persuades us that our climate must have
changed into one prolonged summer. Blooms six inches across
are common, and specimen plants loaded with hundreds of such,
most symmetrically disposed, are to be seen measuring twenty

THB CHBYSAKTHEMUM. 221

feet in circumference and six feet in height, leafed to the bottom,
and perfect prodigies of health and vigour. Enthusiasts from all
parts shake hands and jostle there, and though the society has
long outgrown the existing means for its acconmiodation, visitors
and plants having but a fourth of the space they severally need,
ita fame still increases, from the accession of increasing funds,
members, and contributions, and, taken all in all, and making
fair allowance for its special character and local constitution, there
is not a more successful society in the world, nor one that can
equal its display at that particular season of the year.

Away from London, Mr. H. Bowler, of Ipswich, may be said
to have made the greatest progress in the v culture of the Chry-
santhemum. His Vesta, exhibited last year at Ipswich, measured
not less than twenty-seven feet in circumference, and was furnished
with a thousand blooms of the most snowy whiteness, every single
bloom being in itself a specimen. The foliage was fine and healthy,
feathering the stems to their base, and the plant was exhibited
in a sixteen-inch pot. Madame Camheraon, also exhibited by Mr.
Bowler, was almost equal to his Vesta, and some of his Fompones
were twenty feet in circumference, and beautifully bloomed and
proportioned. In Pompones, however, Mr. Weatherill takes the
lead; and it would astonish tliose who know Chrysanthemums as
seen at nurseries only to see to what grand perfection this noted
exhibitor brings them, and without a single trick beyond honest
dressing. At the North London and Stoke Newington, Mr.
James and Mr. Oubridge take the lead as exhibitors, and for
supply of new varieties and high-class stock, Mr. Salter, of the
Versailles Nursery, Hammersmith, is the man.

There are three distinct families of Chrysanthemums, the Large'
flowering, the Fompones, which are small as compared with the
old stock, and Lilliputians, which are smaller still, being about
half the size of Pompones proper. The large-flowering was the
sort first introduced, and the first that became famous; indeed it
is only of late years that Pompones have attracted much attention,
though this small kind was figured so early as 1699 in the forty-
fourth plate of the tenth volume of Rheede's "Hortus Malabaricus."
,It was known as the Tsjetii Pu, but afterwards took many botanical
designations, and was described as a Matricaria in the third volume

222 THB CHBYSAKTHEUUH.

of Saj'b "Historia Plantarum." Mr. Fortune first introduced tlie
Pompone variety from ChuBan, and it was for a time known as
the Chusan Daisy.

Mr. Salter's list of Chrysanthemums of all kinds amounts to
more than seven hundred sorts; and, besides the division into
three families which we have just noted, they may also be divided
as to the form of the flower into incurved and those that are not
incurved, and among the latter those known as Anemone-flowered
have become very fashionable of late. The Anemone kinds are
of late introduction, and the fashion requires them to have but
one row of guard petals round the anemone-like centre, and if
the guard is of a different colour to the centre, the flower is
the more prized, though if the colour is the same it is not con-
sidered imperfect. One advantage of the anemone-flowered kind
is that they are more hardy than the full flowers, and as to
their beauty, no one can fail to admire well-bloomed, specimens of
Marguerite de Valois, with its splendid yellow centre and white
guard; Fleur de Marie, a fine white; GlucJc, a splendid orange;
Diamant de Versailles, white guard and rosy centre; Hegulus,
cinnamon; and Marguerite, with bright rose guard and pale rose
centre. As to the quilled and tasselled varieties, there is no doubt
these are all in the first stage of transition from the orthodox
form to the wild state, but they are generally free bloomers, very
hardy, and make a splendid show as border-flowers, though they
find little favour at exhibitions, because they do not conform to
the recognized standard of "properties;" and if properties were
not insisted on, the criterions of excellence would soon be confused,
endless and profitless discussions would arise as to comparative
merits, and the flowers themselves would deteriorate; hence, even
if our standards of judgment are capable of revision and improve-
ment, the necessity for a standard is self-evident, and every
amateur, even if not an exhibitor, should study properties in the
selection and improvement of his own private stock, and make
no scruple to sacrifice plants that, judged by the exhibition ordeal,
would be pronounced worthless.

The properties generally agreed to in judging the Chrysanthe-
mum are as follows: —

The plant must be dwarf and of a fine globular or pyramidal

THS CHBTSUTTHKinni. Oil

thape, shmbbj, covered with bright green healthy foliage to the
bottom of the sterna; the flowers abundant, sjnimetricallj arranged,
boldly displayed, and well supported by the stems. The stems
ought not to be more tban eighteen inches high.

The flower should he circular ia the outline of the guard petals,
and from the crown to the circumference form two-thirds of a
ball. It should be very double, high in the crown, and without
disk or concision in the centre; the petals should be thick, smooth,
broad, circular at the ends, and the point where tiiey meet hardly
perceptible. They ought to incurve gracefully and regularly; if
they quill so as to show their under sides, they are considered
defective. The flowers should be large in proportion to the foliage,
but the size is considered only in relation to the plants, though,

if well formed, numerous, and symmetrically disposed; the larger
they are the better.

The colour is not subject to severe rules, but it must be pure
and bright. If a self, the more distinct and striking the more
is it prized; if more than one colour, they should be well defined,
with no irregular stains or blotches; the Chiysanthemum being
very apt to come cloudy and confused in tints, renders this point
one of great importance.

«H'

24 THB CHBYSAKTHXHUM.

CHAPTER lY.

GENERAL CULTUBE AND SEASONAL MANAGEMENT.

The Chrysanthemuin is very hardj, will grow in any soil, it
makes a good ball, and may be moved safely at any season, and
from the 1st. of January to the Ist. of October, any part, from
young tops an inch long to a full-grown and ripened branch, may
be struck and rooted in a brief space of time. Hence the mere
preservation of the plant is an easy matter, as also is its increase;
but to do it justice, it needs some special care, and the best kinds
degenerate unless cultivated, with a view to sustain or even im-
prove their excellence. The plant is a gross feeder, and to insure
abundance of fine blooms, it should be grown in a rich soil, and
be abundantly supplied with water.

The best Chrysanthemum soil is one formed of one part well-
rotted dung, one part decayed leaves, and two parta loam, and
in making up the compost, an addition of a little sand and some
small potsherds should be added for those that are grown in pots.
For a border to be planted with them, it may be sufficient to
enrich it with a liberal admixture of decayed dung only some
short time before planting, and if the soil of the border is a good
friable loam, one annual dressing of manure will be sufficient. On
a wet soil some provision must be made to secure good drainage,
for, though the plant loves moisture and good living, it is much
deteriorated by stagnant wet about the roots. Where the grower
purposes to plant the best sorts with a view to early and fine
bloom, it is advisable to have the border drained and trenched
during the winter, the top spit being kept at top and laid up
for the frost to mellow it; then about February let the ridges
be levelled, and a liberal coating of manure dug in.

The last week in March, or the first week in April, is the best
time for planting. Place them two feet apart at least, and if the
plants are from cuttings made in February, or offsets from old
stools, three may be planted in a patch. The tallest sorts need
to be three feet apart, and, if the back row is to be grown against

THB CHBY8ANTHBMU1C. 226

a wall or trellis, trim the shoots as they grow in the form of a
fan, and allow six inches between the points of the shoots, care-
frilly removing every shoot which interferes with such an arrange-
ment. Aj8 they make their summer progress, cut clean away every
shoot from the roots upwards to within six inches of the tops of
the main shoots, and so preserve the plants open, moderately spare,
and they wiU keep well leafed to the bottom. If the side shoots
are allowed to grow at random, the symmetry of the plants will
be spoiled, and the blooms will be poor and crowded.

In the open border the plants must be staked in time to prevent
damage by wind, but this should be done with some attention,
and not, as we too often see them, gathered anyhow into a stiff
bunch, and tied tight to a pole, but loosely and with a little
arrangement, to produce a graceful and open bush. All through
the summer they will require constant watering. They do not
root deeply, and suffer much if exposed to drought, and there is
no plant which is more benefitted by an occasional syringing or
drenching of the foliage. From the moment of planting to the
time they swell their buds for bloom, they should never flag,
and for a few weeks before the blooms open an occasional — say
weekly — dose of weak manure-water will be very beneficial. After
every watering with liquid manure one good watering should be
given with soft clear water overhead, and to soak the roots well.

Hioogh very hardy, it is not wise to leave good sorts exposed
all the winter, except in very favoured localities. The beet way
of treating the general stock in winter is to take up all the old
roots, clear off the stems, and lay them by the heels close together
in some spot where it will be convenient to shelter them with a
mat and some litter, for a long and severe frost might destroy
many, if fully exposed to its influence.

In the culture of specimen plants in pots, "stopping" is much
resorted to, and is one great secret of success. But it is inad«
visable to stop plants in the open borders, because by retarding
the blooms many may be cut off by early frosts, and the stopping
causes a quantity of breast wood to form, which in the open ground
is not required. Where bushy plants are wanted, they may be
laid down and pegged, and this is applicable also to the dwarfing
of sorts tiiat are too tall for the position in whidi yoa may wwh

226 THB CHBYSANTHEMITM.

to place them. Let us now treat of the high culture necessary
to the production of specimen plants, and of the routine treatment
of the Chrysanthemum as a florists' flower.

CHAPTEE V.

PBOPAGATION AND SPBINa CULTUBB.

When we shall learn to seed Chrysanthemums with as much
ease as we do most other florists* flowers, we shall make as much
progress in one year as we have done during the past ten in its
culture and improvement, for it would be absurd to suppose that
we have attained to perfection yet. As it is, our climate hardly
permits a seed to ripen, and we have to depend on continental
• supplies, which renders the raising of new varieties additionally
precarious, and but too often **Love*s labours lost." When early-
flowering sorts can be got to ripen seed, we know better what
we are about, and, if saved from well-shaped and well-coloured
flowers, there is hope of a progeny that may repay us.

The seed should be sown in February in wide shallow pots or
pans in very fine soil, and lightly covered, and must be started
in a gentle moist heat. If the pans are well moistened and
covered with flat panes of glass till the seeds appear, there will
be no need of further watering untU the plants have two or three
leaves, and then they must be kept moist with very gentle showers
from the finest-rosed watering-pot you have. Let them have air
pretty freely, to prevent damping, prick them out as soon as they
have three or four leaves each, and as soon as they meet again
give each a separate thumb-pot, and grow them on in an average
temperature of 60°. As fast as they fill the pots with roots, give
them a shift, but do not stop any, or aim at making specimen
plants the first year, simply grow them jvell, but let them take
what shape they like till they flower, and then determine what
shall be done with them. Some of the forwardest may flower

THB CHBTSANTHEMUM. 227

the first year, and those that do not will flower early in the
second, and may prove the best. When they have made one
season's fair growth, they may be treated in every respect the
same as old plants. Every inferior sort should be got rid of at
once, for It is useless to preserve things that are not equal to
what we already possess.

Propagation by means of cuttings is a very simple afiair, for
the Chrysanthemum roots freely, and is one of those things of
which we may make sure of increasing the stock from the merest
fragment to start with. Cuttings well made and properly put in
will root at any time, even when full of flower, if encouraged
with a close moist air and gentle heat, but to obtain good plants
the earlier they are struck the better. Old stools that have been
carefully treated begin to break very early in the year, and by
the first week in February any moderate number of cuttings may
be taken from them; young shoots of three inches long are the
best. Trim off the lower leaves with a pair of scissors, cut each
clean across to the lowest joint, and dibble them in tenderly round
the sides of five-inch pots, in a mixture of powdery peat and sand,
and with a coating of fine sand on the surface; cover with a
bell-glass, and place on sand or coal ashes, with a gentle bottom-
heiit, and they root speedily, and may be potted ofl* into thumb-
pots, stopped at the third joint, submitted again to gentle heat, and,
as soon as they fill the pots with roots, shifted into sixties, and
stopped again, still kept moist and warm, and in a similar soil of peat
or old turf-mould finely broken, and mixed with silver-sand sufficiently
to keep it open. Give air moderately, never allow them to be
pot-bound, syringe the foliage occasionally, and as soon as they
fill the pots with roots again the season will be forward enough
for another potting, and a transfer of the stock to a cold pit or
frame, or the shelves of a cool greenhouse.

At this stage they must have liberal culture, and be made as
hardy as possible. Give them another shift, and a more nutritious
soil, namely, two parts light hazelly loam that has been exposed
to frost, or old rotted turves from a loamy pasture, well rotted
and pulverized, two parts decayed dung from a cucumber or melon
pit, one part peat, and a little sharp river-sand and some very
small potsherds to keep the whole open. Mr. Fortune's note on

228 THE CHBYSANTHEMUIC.

the Chinese mode of cultivation may afford the amatenr a hint
of the sort of stuff in which Chrysanthemums delight. He says,
"The soil used in potting is of a very rich description. About
Canton it is generally obtained, in the first instance, from the
bottoms of lakes and ponds where the nelumbium or water-lily
grows. It is then laid up to dry and pulverize for some months,
when it is mixed with old night-soil taken from the manure tanks
found in every garden. A heap of this kind, after being laid up
for some time, and frequently turned over, is in a fit state for
potting the Chrysanthemum. Manure water, taken also from the
tanks already noticed, is liberally supplied during the growing
season, and its effects are visible in the luxuriant dark green leaves
which cover the plants." When our Sewer Boards and Drainage
Commissioners learn wisdom, and make town manure pay for town
drainage, we may be able to obtain the best of manures for all
floricultural and agricultural purposes, and apply the Chinese mode
to many more things than Chrysanthemums.

Frost and damp are more inimical to young plants in pots, and
especially those that have tasted artificial heat, than to the stools
in the open ground, and hence every care must be taken that such
enemies do not annoy them. At each potting, and as fast as they
spread and branch, continue to stop them by nipping out the points
of the shoots above the third joint, till the middle of July. This
will cause them to grow into huge bushy plants, and to keep the
foliage green to the bottom, which is so essential to their beauty.
They must have plenty of room at all times; if crowded, the lower
leaves fade, and the base of the plant becomes a bare and unsightly
mass of sticks. They should not be grown on in pots after May,
but planted out in rich soil, and taken up again in September
for blooming; but if an entire course of pot-culture be preferred,
put them into their blooming pots in the middle of June, and
then cease stopping for all kinds that are required to bloom early.
The last shifl should be a large one, proportioned, of course, to
the size of the plants, but in any case with plenty of room for
increase of root, and with the soil which we have just described.

THE CHJtTSAKTHBllUM. ^^

CHAPTER VI.

'*In other thii^fs we count it to excel
If it a docile scholar can appear
To Nature, and but imitate her well;
It overrules, and is her master here.
Who would not joy to see his conquering hand
0*er all the vegetable world command!"

Cowley.

SUMMBB CULTtTBE, STOPPING, AND BLOOMING.

Plants intended to be grown on in pots for exhibition should
l^iye a large shift early in April, say to pots three sizes larger
than those they are in, and every shoot must be carefully stopped,
to cause the side joints to break and form round bushy masses.
Plants &om spring cuttings should be put into nine-inch pots,
and old stools into twelve-inch at least, except for Pompones, for
which the pots should be proportionally smaller. Besides the
regular stopping, which causes the plants to assume such a noble
i^ppearanoe, the centre must be kept open by tying out the shoots
in a symmetrical manner, when the inner joints will soon fill up
the centre, and give them a fine outline.

During the whole of the summer the plants should never flag
for want of moisture; they should be £reely exposed, whether in
pots or turned out in the open ground; let them have water over-
head frequently, and as soon as the flower-buds appear give them
weak liquid manure once a week. Pot plants should be placed
on coal ashes or coarse gravel; the pots should be well drained,
and the plants secured against stagnant moisture at the roots.
As soon as the flower-buds appear, increase the strength of the
liquid-manure, but be careM not to overdo it, or the foliage will
get diseased, and the blooms will be ruined. Thin the buds
regularly ofl* those intended for exhibition, and during hot and
dry weather water them over-head night and morning; and in.
order that the sun may not reach them before the foliage is a
little dried from the morning watering, give them a position a

t

280 THB CHBTSAKTHIBMrM.

little sheltered from the east, and water as early as possible after
daybreak.

They must always have plenty of room, or the lower leaTcs
will turn brown and fall off, which is much against them as to
their intrinsic beauty and the estimation of judges at shows. Ton
will note how successful exhibitors show their plants leafed to
the base, and full of health and verdure, no matter what their
size.

In the potting for bloom of those which were planted out in
May, a little preparatory process must take place, so as to insure
the taking up of the plants without breaking the balls, for that
would give them a check that might prevent them from blooming,
or cause it to be delayed beyond the proper time. We have
already said that the middle of June is the ordinary time at which
to cease stopping, but to secure a succession to last from the
end of September till February, it is as well to - stop some plants
as late as the middle, or even the last week in July; but those
stopped so late must be encouraged in their growth m other
respects, and submitted to no checks in removal.

A few days before lifting them, give the ground a good soaking,
and the day before taking them up loosen the ground all round
them with a four or five-tined fork, and have everything in readiness,
that when removed they may be carefully placed in their blooming-
pots at one lift from the border. Lift them with good balls, and
do not injure a single fibre if you can help it. Drench them
over-head as soon as they are potted, or if rain follow, let them
enjoy it freely, and they will not lose a day in the date of
their subsequent blossoming. If hot sun prevails, give them a
shady aspect, or put them imder an awning, and after the first
drenehing do not water them at the roots again till they get
moderately dry, but frequently syringe the foliage, and keep the
ground about them moist, and as soon as they show signs of
having commenced a vigorous root-action in the pots, expose them
freely, that the bloom-buds may set well, and the wood be ripened
sufficiently to bear them. Any kind of coddling or unnecessary
in-door growth is ruin to the Chrysanthemum.

For exhibition purposes, except in the case of cut blooms,
the plants must be flowered in pots. But the prime way of

TB> CHKTKuniHnnnc.

S31

makhig B grand ChirBsntheiiram show at home, ii iierer to let
them aee a pot, mncli less get inside one. Hr. SsHer blofpms \m
best BpectmenH of old and new plants in borden, in a booaa ez-
presslj adapted for them, and in whick they hare u nmch air at •

if tliey were lefl oat, but are Becnre against frost and damp^ akd
sseeosira sunlight. As they begin to ehow for bloom thej an
taken c^ and planted in this bouse, kept very rndgt at Uw roeto

H long as they are in bloom, and allowed alnmdaaoe of ur night
■nd day, with shade as may be required. Since Chryganthenrams
are important subjeote eTerywhere, such a mode of blooming fhem
might be adopted in preference to the remoral of them to the

232 THB CHBTSANTHEMUM.

greenhouse, which is the cause of many things being thrust aside
and huddled up to their injury, and &om which many never
recover. A lean-to or span-light, covered pro tern with tiffany,
with an ample stage open to the four winds of heaven, but with
moveable timber structures to close in the north and east sides,
or all four sides when desirable, would be cheap and useM for
this purpose, and at other seasons would serve as a cool house
for many things that occasionally need partial protection.

CHAPTEE Vn.

WINTER MANAGEMENT, DISEASES, AND PESTS.

As soon as the flowers have withered, the blooming shoots are
to be cut down, but not to the injury of any suckers that may
be rising. If in the open ground cover with litter, or take up
the roots and pack them away as directed in Chapter IV. Pot
plants should be wintered in a cool pit, and kept only just moist
enough to preserve life in the plants. During severe frosts a mat
may be thrown over the light, but they are so nearly hardy that
moderate protection will be sufficient. At the end of February
or beginning of March, according to the state of the weather, the
old stools may be trimmed up, the suckers taken off to form
additions to the stock, and the whole planted as already directed.

Old plants are the best for the borders, they bloom strong and
early, and make a glorious show to honour the season of home
hospitalities, and deck the mournful procession of the old year
on its way to the land of forgetfulness.

It is seldom that any disease affects the Chrysanthemum, but
still we know by experience that such a casualty is possible.
Last year (1856) Mr. Broome's show at the Temple Grardens, was
sadly marred by the breaking out of a distemper which cut down
foliage and flower alike, in a manner very similar to the potatoe
disease. Among my own stock many that were in the open ground
a)l but disappeared from the face of the earth, but there seemed

THS CHBTBlITTHKintlll 233

to be no rule obteirable as to soil or T&rietios, by which one
could judge as to the canse. Some th&t had been oarefullf grown
saffered as much as others that had had very scan^ attentionc,
and rice veraA, but not a single pot apeoimen in my owa collection,
or in the collection of friends which I had opportunities of inspect-
ing, suffered in the least; and if violence done to them by the
grower was the canae, I might have eipected plants that were
in a room heated to 70° and upwards, to have suffered, yet even
these were unscathed, and only took a paler hue, as they will
always when bloomed in a heatod wr. A mystorioua "something,"
therefore, of an atmospheric nature, was no doubt iho canae, but

since it is impossible to say what, it wonld be idle even to snggest
a remedy. When exposed to damp before they are housed, the
foliage will sranetimes get mildewed, and then a dusting with
sulphur is the best course that can be recommended.

During dry summer weather green fiy will occsaiomUly attack
the tops of the plants, and the usual remedy — tobacco — miist be
resorted to. Plants out of doors may have their tops dipped into
tobacco-water, and in the greenhouse a hearty smoking by means
of Browns iumigator. In either case the plants should be well
syringed when the tobacco has done its work.

t$i THI OHBTSAHTHSMini.

CHAPTEE YIII.

SFBCIMEir PLANTS. FOMFONES.

A Fiw additional hints on the production of speciniens for eat
blooms, and on the decorative uses of Pompones, may here be
useful. To produce grand specimen flowers without reference to
the general ocMitour of the plants, strike cuttings in autumn without
beat, of the sorts intended to be grown. Winter them in a cold
frame; give as much air as possible all winter, and early in April
plant them out eight inches apart, under a wall to which thejr
are to be trained, in a well-drained and well-manured border.
They must not once be stopped, but encouraged to throw their
whole strength into the original flower germs; the process of
stopping tending of course to the formation of new buds, to the
diflusion of the strength of the plant. Never let them flag, and
give very weak manure-water regularly after the second week in
May, and increase its strength at the beginning of August.

Eemove all laterals as fast as they appear, and when the head
breaks into two or three forks, leave as many as you think pro-
portioned to the strength of the plant, and, as a rule, the fewer
the better. Keep the tops frequently syringed, keep down green
fly, and allow nothing to shade or choke them. As soon as the
flower-buds have plumped up well, weaken the manure-water, and
discontinue it altogether before the flowers open, but continue the
wad of the syringe, and keep the roots moist with soft water.

When you see fairly what is the produce in flower-buds, remove
all but the centre one from each of the leading forks, unless that
has any defect, in which case cut it clean away, and leave another
in its place. Before the flowers fairly open, make provision to
shade them from the sun; drive in a couple of stout poles before
eaoh plant, at about four feet distance from the wall, from these
oarry horizontal bars across to the wall, and flrmly flx them at
a suflScient height above the crown of the plants to allow them
a free circulation of air. Over this frame-work stretch canvass or
tiffany, or a mat will do, to secure shade and shelter from heavy

THX GHBT8AKTHBHUM. 295

rain, the latter being Bometimes as great an enemj to the Chry-
santhemum as any it has to contend with at the time of flowering.
One night of deluging rain will sometimes break the flowers to
pieces, make the whites muddy, and waste the colour of the
brightest tinted blooms, unless they are in some way protected
from its influence. In the case of early frosts, an extra mat
brought OTer so as to hang down in front, will be an additional
protection, but care must be taken that such extra coverings are
removed betimes in the morning, so that the blooms have a ftill
share of daylight. A table and inverted pot, as described at page
200, is a most useful form of shade for specimen Chrysanthemums.

In the culture of Pompones, which are among the choicest of
domestic flowers, as well as most worthy objects of floricultural
ambition, the same routine is necessary, but from their smaller
size these are so well suited for pot-culture, that they are largely
and deservedly used to provide a succession for the greenhouse
and the window from October to February. To produce fine plants
it is best to take ofl* suckers in March, pot them into rich com-
post in forty-eights, unless they are scanty of roots, in which case
pot them in sixties, with a little additional sand and a few small
crocks, and after a while shifl them and treat as the others. It
is by judicious stopping that round bushy specimens are obtained,
and these are so noble compared with the long-legged things one
aeoB but too oflen in amateur collections, that we are sure no
one who was once informed of the mode of eflecting such a change
would ever after neglect it.

When the plants are strong in pots turn them out carefully,
without breaking the ball, and let them remain in the open border
till the second week in June, when they must be carefully lifted
and put into their blooming-pots, and again stopped and pegged
out into as large a circumference as possible. The new shoots
from the stopped joints will fill up the centre, and they will set
for bloom all over, from the crown to within a few inches of the
pot. Any that are leggy or thin may be again topped and spread
out in August, and then the whole must be watered once a week
with liquid manure, to be discontinued as soon as the fiower-buds
begin to show colour. Though they need protection against frost,
they should be bloomed in an airy cool place; artificial heat is

236 THE CHBYSANTHEMVK.

bad for them, and causes the colours of all to become mneh
paler than they should be.

Pompones may be struck from young tops as late as June,
and flower the same year; and if shoots are pegged down in
August, they may be removed and potted with good roots, when
the flower-buds appear, and make pretty dwarf specimens. The
large-flowered sorts may be dwarfed in the same way. Layer
selected shoots as soon as the flower-buds appear, by plunging
pots filled with rich soD, with a little sand at t<^; under the
joint to be layered, give the shoot a twist, and bring the joini
down to the pot, fix it there with a hooked peg, cover with half
an inch of soil, and in three or four weeks it will be weH rooted;
then remove and place in the shade for a week. They may wank
another shift before they bloom. These dwarfed specimens tell
well on the stage in front of the taller ones.

CHAPTEH IX.

A CnRYRANTHEMUM BOliDER.

Mr. Dale, gardener to the Honourable Society of the Middle
Temple, London, is a successful grower of the Chrysanthemum
in the midst of London smoke, and shares with Mr. Broome the
honours that attach to the conquest of peculiar difficulties. Mr.
Dale has published a very useful sixpenny manual of its cultivation
"in or near large towns," and in this he gives the following
arrangement of plants for a border twelve feet wide, containing
five rows of the large varieties and one of Pompones in front.
Many changes might be made in the arrangement, and a good
effect still be produced, but on the whole I prefer to quote it
here on Mr. Dale's authority, confident of its special usefulness.
The first row will be of Pompones. For second row, etc., see
page 239.

THE CHBTSANTHEMmC 237

CHAPTEE X.

EABLY-FLOWEBINa CHRYSANTHEMUMS.

To have Chrysanthemums in bloom at midsummer seems like
upsetting the order of things; it is almost enough to chill one's
warmest summer hopes, by the dreary reminder that winter is
not far off, Neither do we much need them so early, for it
must be a very poor collection that can need the unseasonable
help of Chrysanthemums at any time between the end of June
and the end of September, but after that every bloom we can
hare for the space of four months is welcome indeed. But it is
my business rather to show what can be done, and how to do
it, than to trouble the reader with a recital of my antipathies
to the forestalling of the associations of winter. If folks like to
have the symbols of Christmas about them at harvest-time, I
know no reason why they should not.

There are now many varieties of Chrysanthemums that are
precocious in their flowering, and if it is desired to have such
plants in bloom by the middle or end of June, the thing may
be done, and in districts exposed to cold winds, especially in the
north of the island, such early sorts have a special value, for
the late kinds in bad positions are sometimes so retarded as to
be cut off by frosts or damaged by storms before they have time
fairly to open, and these early kinds, having the start of them,
compensate for difference of latitude.

The first of this kind was C. Hendersonii, a very neat orange
yellow Pompone; since that became known and appreciated, many
others of similar early habit have been raised, and a list of those
most to be depended on for quick growth is given at the end.
There are many other reputed early kinds, but I have named
only such as I have proved to be both early and good, and I
should advise those who are not extensively acquainted with this
flower not to choose a single variety ,for early blooming besides
those described in the list as such.

To give them a good chance, the 'culture should be adapted
to their habit. The cuttings ^shouldj be ;^struckj in February, or

238 THB CHBTSANTHXlinM.

the first week in March, in a gentle heat, and the whole stock
potted off and stopped by the last week in March, or the first
week in April. They should be assisted with a little heat after
potting, and a forlaiight afterwards transferred to a cold frame and
stopped again. They should have a shift into pots two sizes larger
eariy in May, say from the 7th. to the 12th., according to their
forwardness and the state of the weather, but this time they
must not be stopped, but encouraged to set for bloom by being
plunged in ashes in the open air, and kept well watered during
dry weather. By the second week in June they may have a
final shift into blooming pots, and after that be freely exposed in
the open air, and treated in the usual way till they bloom. By
such a course of culture you may make pretty sure of a con-
tinuance of bloom from the beginning of July to the beginning
of October, when the old sorts will be coming in to replace
them. By forwarding a few a fortnight earher, say stopping
them for the last time the first week in April, and giving the
successive shifts to correspond, they may be got into bloom by
the middle of June. If we have Chrysanthemums in June, why
should we not have snowdrops in July, and at Christmas put
out the fires, and aver that the thermometer stands at 80°P It
is indeed a merciful dispensation of things that we cannot com-
mand or check the fall of a single drop of rain, or alter the
temperature one millionth of a degree. Whatever man's power
over the vegetable kingdom, the seasons observe the times ap-
pointed them by Him who has ordained seed-time and harvest;
and in the revolution of the year every day has its own char-
acter, its own use, and its own accompanying flower. To the
genuine lover of nature it is "summer all the year round," and
things assume a relative fitness and use widely different from the
order that man's caprice puts upon them.

"O with what glory comes and goes the year!
The buds of spring— those beautiful harbingers
Of sunny skies and cloudless times— enjoy
Life's newness and earth's garniture spread out;
And when the silver habit of the clouds
Comes down upon the autumn sun, and, with
A sober gladness, the old year takes up
His bright mheritance of golden fruits,
A pomp and pageant fill the splendid scene."

LO.NGFKI LOW.

THB CHSTSANTHEMUM. 289

LIST OF SELECTED YARIETIES.

ME. DALE'S AEEANGEMENT OF FIVE EOWS FOE

TWELVE-FEET BOBDEE.

FOR SECOND ROW, AVERAGE HEIGHT THREE FEET.

Annie Salter, golden yellow. Beaatifally reflexed.

Aastralie, golden yellow. A very pretty small free flower.

Bossuet, rosy carmine.

Changeable Yellow, buds tinged with red changing to yellow. Charming

border flower.
Fortune, rosy red and orange. Very pretty but rather shy.
Lucidnm, white. Very early, free and beautiful foliage.
Madame Cammerson, crimson tipped with gold. Pretty, small, and f^ee.
Plutus, bright gold. A beautiful flower.
Princess Royal, rose.
Racine, gold and brown points.
Surprise, white. Early and free.
Queen Victoria, delicate peach. Very free, blooms best from old plants.

FOR THIRD ROW,' AVERAGE HEIGHT FOUR FEET

AND A HALF.

Astrolabe, orange nankeen. A very fine border-flower.

Cloth of Gold, yellow. Fine reflexed flower.

Gassy, orange and rose. Pretty border variety.

Comte de Rantzau, crimson. Early, the best border-flower of this colour.

Gipsy Queen, orange. Very free, early and good.

Incomparable, buff. Very free.

Jenny Lind, rosy sulphur. Very pretty.

Minerva, creamy rose. Quilled, singular in appearance.

Madame Poggi, crimson. Rather late.

Nell Gwynne, rosy peach. Beautifully reflexed.

Princess Marie, rose. Early and fine.

Wceb's Queen, light rose. Early and good.

240 THfi chbysanthbmum:

FOB FOURTH ROW, HEIGHT ABOUT FIVE FEET

AND A HALF.

Chevalier Domage, bright gold. Splendid border-flower.

Glack, golden orange. Anemone form.

Hermine, blash, petals striped up the back with purple.

Leon Lequay, lilac.

Pio Nono, Indian red and gold-tipped.

Poudre d'or, reddish orange. Early and free.

Queen of England, blush. A splendid free early border-flower.

Queen of Yellows, brassy yellow. A pretty reflexed flower.

Sydenham, carmine red. A pretty border-flower.

Themis, rose. RcautiM but rather late.

Trilby, blush. Free and full.

Versailles Defiance, bright rosy lilac. Very pretty.

FOR FIFTH ROW, HEIGHT SIX FEET.

Anaxo, red orange. Very handsome in border.

Arigena, amaranth. Fine, but rather late.

Decreque, red. Very free, blooming in clusters, beautiful for border.

Formosum, pale sulphur. Very free and pretty.

Gem, white tipped with rose. Very free.

Lysias, red orange. Early and free.

Le Prophete, golden fawn. A fine free full border-flower.

Prince of Wales, fiery red. Small and free.

Temple de Saloman, bright yellow. Free and splendid for borders.

Vesta, ivory white. One of the oldest and best, very free and splendid.

Weeb*s Delight, very rich canary.

Warden, orange.

FOR SIXTH AND BACK ROW.

Beauty, peaclj.

Christine, peach. Very free and fHll.

Due de Coiiigliania, fiery red. Very free.

Duke, blush.

Doria, orange. Large free flower.

General Marceau, large dark buff". Very bold.

Goliah, large while.

THE CHBYSAKTHBMUM. 24t

Marchioness, large loose white. Very fVee.

Madame Boacharlet, white. Free.

Norfolk Bival, light lilac. Free.

Olrlando, rosy baif.

Tassel, yellow. An old loose variety, capital for back row.

THIRTY OF THE FINEST INCURVED LARGE-FLOWERING
CHRYSANTHEMUMS— SHOW FLOWERS.

Alfred Salter, delicate rosy lilac. Large and fall; the best of the new

yarieties. (Frontispiece.)
Annie Henderson, yellow. Very early.
Antigone, fine white.
Alix, (syn. Voltaire,) rosy carmine.
Anguste Mie, pale carmine, with yellow tip. Fine form.
Aregina, rosy purple.
Annie Salter, yellow.
Scanty, peach. Fine form.

Bemardininm, deep orange, slightly shaded with red. Fine form.
Bossnet^ pale rosy purple. Fine.
Dupont de TEure, shaded carmine. Distinct.
Eolfe, yellow, with rose tip. Fine.
Elizabeth, beautiful white.
GeneTleve, blush white.
Goliah, fine white.
Hermine, delicate .blush, striped up the back with purple. Good form.

fine.
King, light i>each. A fine show-flower.
La Prophete, pale yellow. Fine and large.
Leon Leqnay, shaded purple. Fine.
Madame Poggi, deep chesnut.
Mount Etna, splendid red.

Mr. Deschamps, canary yellow. Fine and large, first-rate for pots.
Pio Nono, bright carmine red with golden points.
Plutus, very fine yellow.
Queen of England, delicate blush white. Fine.
Stellaris globosa, crimson carmine and blush shaded. Beautifully formed,

not large.
Trilby, delicate blush white. Fine.
Valerie, large cinnamon. Dwarf, and good for pots.
Vulcan, fine bright red chesnut
Vesta, magnificent ivory white. One of the. best for exhibition.

242 TBM CHBT8A9THXMUM.

TWELVE OF THE FINEST ANEMONE-FLOWEBED, SUTTBD

FOB SHOW-CULTURE. .

Captain Montells, light violet.
Fleur de Marie, the best white.
Gluck, golden orange.
Marguerite de Versailles, blush.
Madame Gorderau, sulphur.

Diamant de Versailles, white guard find rosy centre.
Regulns, cinnamon.
Romulus, rosy lilac and rose.
Marguerite, rose guard with light centre.
Eclipse, sulphur, gold centre.
Brunette, yellow. Erect habit.

Roquileure, orange centre with qiiillcd guard of rosy red and orange.
Curious.

SIXTY OF THE FINEST POMPONES, NEW AND OLD.

Abel, cinnamon and yellow anemone. New.

Adonis, rosy purple and white. Distinct and fine.

Aigle d'or, incurved pale yellow. Grood.

Anne Boleync, bright buff, very double. Small.

Atropos, crimson. Good.

Aureole', reddish salmon, gold border, with orange centre. Good.

Autumna, reddish buff.

Bcrrol, pale lemon. Small and good.

Bijou d'HorticuIture, delicate lemon white. Good.

Bob, bright chocolate red. Changeable, but very fine and dlstkict.

Boule de Neige, the purest white anemone.

Brilliant, bright cinnamon. Good form, extra fine.

Ccdo Nulli, white with bluish tip. Good form.

Colibri, nankeen and rose. Best out of doors.

Comte Achille Vigier, pale lemon, striped with pink. Dwarf and disChict

Dr. Bois Duval, bright brown red. Good and distinct.

Drin Drin, yellow. Early and good.

Duruflet, rosy lilac, light centre.

Fleurette, violet purple. Free and fine.

Francois, reddish orange. Free and fine.

Fimbriata rosei» rosy blush. Pretty, but fringed.

THX CHSTULKTHBinnC. 843

Fanchette, Pompone anemone, Hght lilac blasta.

General Lafont de Tillars, carmine. Not quite donbld.

General Canrobert, clear yellow. First-rate.

Henderson!, early yellow scented. Good.

II Brasiero, bright brown. Small.

La Parisienne, French white. Good form, fine.

La Lillputienne, deep cinnamon. Perhaps the most profuse bloomer we

have ; a good plant will produce a thousand blooms in a season.
Louis XIV., chrome yellow.
Marabout, pale blush, changing to white. Beautifully fringed, distinct and

good.
Marabout, pale blush, like a French poppy.
Madlle. Clemence Dalaces, white and rose.

Madlle. Felicie Albert, rosy pink, small white tip. Distinct and good.
Madame Jules d'Evry, pale blush, small yellow centre. Good.
Madame Yatry, delicate peach. Fine.
Madame Celestine Philopal, yellow, tipped with red, changing to yellow.

Good form.
Mrs. Gush, Pompone anemone, bright rose.
Mrs. Dale, pale fawn with purple back.
Mrs. Westwood, silvery lilac.

Mignionette, golden yellow, tiffed with red. Very small and good.
Marguerite de Yalois, white guard and gold centae. A moal beautiful

anemone flower.
Mustapha, dark brown. Very free and fine.
Nain BSbe, very hardy and sweet-scented ; does best oat of doors.
Ninon, white tipped with delicate pink. Grood.
Nonsnch, golden yellow. Good.
Parpaillet, fV'inged blush, but not a free bloomer.
President Morel, Pompone anemone, red cinnamon. Extra fine form and

very firee.
President Decaisne, white, with a broad tip of rosy purple. Qoocl.
Requiqui, deep rosy purple. Good.
Rose Pompon, quilled blush. Good.
Rose Rocquette, white and rose. Fine, but not Tery freA.
Robert Bruce, rosy purple. Free and good.
Regulus, hybrid anemone, cinnamon. Very fine.
Sacramento, orange yellow. Profuse bloomer, and early.
Scarlet Gem, (Salter,) bright red. Very free; makes a splendid bed for

early autumn ; it is dwarf and bushy.
Solfdterre, pale yellow. Good.

Surprise, white tipped with pale rose. Very free bloomer, and early.
Toinette, Pompone anemone, rose. Free and fine.

244 THX OHBTBjOITHSinnC.

Ticomte de Canmont, red and yellow centre. line.
Zebra, rosy lilac, yeUowish centre. Dlstinet and prettj.

TWENTY OF THE EABUEST-FLOWEBIKG POMPONES, ALL

OF THE HIGHEST MERIT.

Adonis, rosy purple. Very fine, changing to white.

Arc-en-ciel, carmine.

Andromeda, rosy lilac.

Belle d'AoCLt, salmon yellow.

Bemxr, cinnamon, changing to yellow. Very free.

Gedo NnUl, white.

Comtesse de la Chastnes, brownish orange.

Drln Drin, yellow. Very free.

Fortunio, brownish crimson.

Hendersoni, pale yellow. Excellent under glass, and has the scent of tbe

heliotrope.
Hom^re, reddish brown.
Mademoiselle Fellcie Albert, deep rosy pnrple.
Orion, canary yellow.

Peine d'Or, yellow. Flowering in masses; very dwarf.
Princess Mathilda, white, yellow centre.
President, lilac. Very strong, and may be struck as late as the

week in June.
Regulus, orange red.

Scarlet Gem, red. Very dwarf and bushy.
Sacramento, dark yellow. Free.
Surprise, white tipped with rose or lilac.

twelve; ;of the darkest-coloured pompones.

Bob, Sainte Thais, Requiqui, Doctor Bois DuTal, Creole, Buckingham,
Brilliant, Daphne, II Brasiero, Hel^ne, Autumnum, Lilipntian.

GARDEN FAVOURITES.

9ASDEN FATOURITKS.

THE

AENATION, PICOTEE,
AND PINK:

THEIR

HISTORY, PEOPEETIES, CULTIVATION,
PROPAGATION, AND GENERAL MANAGEMENT

IN ALL SEASONS. ,

BY SHIRLEY HIBBERD,

Author of "Rustic Adornments for Homes of Taste," etc.

"The varied colours run, and while they break
On the charm'd eye, the exulting florist marks
With secret pride the wonder of his hand.

• • • •

Infinite numbers, delicacies, smells,

With hues on hues expression cannot paint.

The breath of nature, and her endless bloom."

LONDON:

^EOOMBEIDGE AND SONS, PATEENOSTER EOW.

MDOOOLVn.

THE CARNATION, PICOTEE,

AND PINK

CHAPTER I.

llBKE will we rest va, under these
Overhanging branches of the trees,
Where robins chant their litanies
And canticles of joy.

LONGFKLLOtt.

OLB TIMES AND OLTf FLOWEKS.

In the reminiscences of old times that history and anecdote
have preserved to us, none are so thoroughly refreshing as those
that pertain to our ancestors* gardens. And not a few of them
remain in their original quaintness, with their noble trees and
mossy lawns, their, trim hedges, bowling greens, and luxuriant
borders planted with the good old perennials, where not a single
modem bedding plant is to be se^i, but where gaiety and fra-
grance assert the claims of our truly nationcd flowers> and call
up many dear remembrances. Gorgeous as is the promenade
style, with its "chain patterns" and "panels" in colour, its terrace-
walks, sculptural embellishments, and artistic devices, the brightest
and most dazzling of flower mosaics must "pale its ineffectual
fires" when put in contrast with the arbours and avenues, the
grand old trees, and the full richness of a well-kept ancient garden,

u

246 THE CABKATIOK,

where the old medicinal herbs load the air with odours, and in
the fiercest heat of summer a cool shade is within easy reacli.
Not that modem gardening is to be depreciated, for it ha
effected wonderfnl changes for the better, both as to style and
detail of embellishments, and we may well be proud of the Tast
choice of exotics, that lend their charms to our garden scenes,
and that cultural skill is so modified in character that our climate
no longer opposes their adoption.

But the old gardens appeal to our sympathies, and call up
associations that are homely and cheerfol, and that have the
peculiar charm of everything that serres to remind us of old
times. Here are the green alleys, where, on sabbath evenings,
the dames in their mob caps, and the gallants in their laces and
gilt buckles, took their last strojl afler returning from churcli;
the herb-garden, where the housewife found a cure for every ill,
and which led her to many a brown study of stupid old Cul-
pepper and the "whole art of physic." Here are the weather-
worn seats imder arching branches, and the ancient stone steps
that the peacock loved to strut upon, and the splashing fountain
making its old music to ugly tritons and dolphins grey with agej
the lawn dotted with specimens of the topiary art, yews cut to
represent pyramids, obelisks, and malt-kilns; men in armour or
morris-dancers set in straight lines, like files of close-shaven
courtiers stiffly comporting themselves to thd mathematical
devices and formal patterns that surround them. When we see
in the front of an old gabled mansion that has been for a cen-
tury shrouded in greenery, a whole row of candlesticks and
snufiers, and a huge pagan deity frowning upon them all, as if
determined not to go to bed yet, all attesting to the power of
knife and shears over yew and tree-box, we smile 'at the queer
conceit, feel thankful that we have fallen on better times, and
yet feel haimted by a sense of the romance which hovers over
every fragment of old customs in gardening. But turn to the
borders, and there see the evidences of our ancestors* love of
flowers; see how they gloried in their sweet-smelling daintiev,
and you will dream of Lord Bacon and his "princely" garden.
Sir William Temple and his "perfect" one, and you wiU almost
fmell the cowslip wine, and the birch wine, and the "cool tank-

PICOTBE, AND PINE. 247

ard," flaTOured witk liorage, and the bitter draughts that over-
dressed dandies drank at the early luncheon, and the many sweet
confections and pomades that good wives invented without number
to enhance their own and their daughters* charms; for then the
wife was head gardener, and little feet in satin sLippers made
many a rustling among the sweet-smelling flowers and the medicinal
herbs, even at daybreak, when modern beauties are just composing
their languid eyes for the first sleep.

If you were to go over the catalogue of flowers on which the
old gardeners depended for producing "a brave show," and a
**goodly perfume culled from the daintiest of the daughters of
Flora," you would find the "clove" to hdd almost the first place
amongst them. It was the pride of the parterre, where it held
its bright bosses above the "paunse," and coquetted with the
lily and the Sweet William, which were its ancient friends and
companions. It had some nice old names too, such as all flowers
had then; it was known as a friend, and was never puffed into
empiy importance by means of a name that twisted the tongue
into a knot.

According to dictionary law (see Bailey) the Carnation derives
its name from caro — ^flesh, on account of its colour; but by the
better law of custom and tradition, Carnation is but a corruption
of Coronation, by which it was anciently known, and which
suggests the pretty use to which it was put as a garland flower,
when garlands were in fashion. Another of its names was "gilly-
flower," for, though the stock is often spoken of as the "gilly,"
or "giUy-flower" of old times, it is quite certain that Pinks and
Carnations were those pre-eminently known by such names. It
was the "clove" which mine host plimged into the wine-goblet
to give it a spicy flavour and a rare fragrance, just as the
rosemary was steeped in the ale-tankard to enhance the rich
bitter and aroma of the hearty draught. Thus it became the
wine-sop, and "soppes in wine" was a more common name for it
than any other, and no doubt Chaucer's January foimd it a
welcome ingredient in his potions, when he drank

-Ypocras, clarre, and vemage

Of 'fipices bote, to encrese his corrage.

848 THB CMXSATIOV,

Whether in the garden sparkling with li^i^ 'and eibding its
powerful fimgranoe, or in the "£ur forest," where its beaoly
shone supremely am<»ig the qniter ooloora of the sward, it m
never a neglected flower, but highly prised lor its beauty and
rare firagranoe. Chaucer, in "The Tale of Sir Thopas," desciibes
it as making a feature of the woMland:^ —

Ther springen herbes greet and nml^
Tlie lioorys and the oetewale^

And many a elow gilfoore,
And nntm^ to pat in ale
Whefhir it be moist or stal^

Or for to lay in oofire.

Spenser, among his many fine allusions to rustic life and flowery
things, uses the Carnation as a flower of love. —

Bring hether the FIneke and purple flnHamWiwi,

With gelliflowrea;
Brfaig CcniMmatioDa and aoi^cs in wine^

Worn of paramours.

Shakspere was not forgetful of the beauty of "Carnations and
streaked gilly-flowers;" and Jeremy Taylor does justice to iheir
sweetness when he says, — "I would rather see thyme and roses^
maijoram and gilly-flowers, that are fair, and sweet, and medioi>
nal, than the prettiest tnliplk that are good for nothing.'

»»

FICOTBB, AND PINE. 249

CHAPTER n.

God made the flowers to beautify
The earth, and cheer man's careftil mood.
And he is happiest who hath power
To gather wisdom from a flower.
And wake his heart in every hour
To pleasant gratitude.

WOBDSWOBTH.

POINTS THAT INTEREST THE BOTANIST AND FLOBIST.

The Carnation represents a very pretty and interesting botanical
family, of which many members are familiar to us as hedge-row
friends. We are quite used to their cheerful faces, and many of
them are the most prized flowers of the wild' boquet. The Car-
nation tribe, known in the natural system as CaryophyllacecB, is
one in which the characteristics are very distinct, and so strong
a family likeness is there amongst them, that any beginner in
botany will readily detect it, and at once assign the wayside
gatherings of this class to their proper place. One point of
general resemblance is to be found in the swollen joints of
the stems, in which they have a faint outward resemblance to
grasses; this is very striking in the garden Pinks, Carnations,
and Sweet Williams. Another feature is that their leayes are
imdivided and opposite; that is, springing &om opposite sides of
the same joint, instead of being placed as in most other plants,
alternately along the stem; and as they clasp the stem at the
base, they offer another resemblance to the grasses.

There are many genera, but the reiader who is not skilled in
botany, will have no difficulty in tracing the connection of the
whole with the Carnation, especially if a few species of each
section be gathered during country rambles, and placed in com-
parison with the grand head of the order. Among the best
known genera we may name Sitenece, which comprehends the
pretty wayside Campions or Catchflies, of which the most common.

SSO TBI CARNATIOX,

8ilm» itfflata, the Blndder Campion, is here figured. iKmifkt
ii however the leading Bection, and this oomprehends dke Fink,
CantatioD, and Sweet William, in each of which the fenulj
resemblances are evident at first sight. The Soapworts, (8ig)«aam!l
which are &Tourite border-flowen, dHutitnte a distinct sec&iii
the Z^ini* and its speciea another, of which the Ba^ed Bolnn
IB the chief; and in other sections we find the pretty Ceraitiiim

Snene inaBta.

and the well known Chickweed, which few nninitiated penom
would suppose to be a near relative of the gandj' Carnation.

The principal genus IHanikua, is the one to which the Carnation,
{Dianihiis can/ophyllus,) gives its name; it means "flower of God,"
and marks the estimation in which this flower was held long
before flower-shows were thought of.

We have a tribe of Zoophytes, the Caryoph^llea, named after
the Carnation, on acconnt of the resemblance of a cluster of them

PICOTSB, AWD ^VKs 251

to a boqnet of Pinks; and the grand Actinia Dianthus is a
splendid imitation of a well-doubled Carnation, blooming on the
mand at the sea-bottom. In England there are at least five native
speciei of Pinks, the most rare is Dianthus armaria, occasionally
met with in meadows, where it makes little inconspicuous patches
of pink or white, its heads of flowers resembling those of degenerate
Sweet Williams: it is quite scentless. Another and better-known
species is the Gkurden Pink, (Dianthus hortensis,) which is generally
undentood to be of British parentage, the offspring of the Wild
Pink, of the same name, which grows on old walls, and is some-
times called ^e Wild Clove Pink. A finer species is the Mountain
Pink, (Dianthus coesiusj which has large handsome flowers of
the tue Pink form, a cheerful and welcome flower when met
with h its native haunts on the high ridges and lone summits,
and ii spots where the mountaineer begins to feel the desolation
of mointain barrenness, for it loves to crown the last peak where
foot dire not tread, and is the companion of grey lichens, moxmtain
clouds and oppressive silence. But the pride of the order is
DianAus caa^ophyllus, the Castle Pink or Clove Gillyflower of
the oH writers. This is generally regarded as the parent of the
floristi' Carnation; it is a pretty Pink, with a delicious clove-like
perfune, which after a shower is borne by the gale to a considerable
distante from the ruin on which it grows. This, the most interesting
of oui native Pinks, is in its growth the associate of the wall-
flower and the snapdragon. We have seen it growing on the old
chuTci and monastic buildings at Cobham, once on the old ivied
chuidi of Chingford, about Bochester Castle, Sandown Castle, near
Dea, as noted by Miss Boberts, who also assigns Norwich as
anotier of its localities.

Th>ugh the trouble would be considered worth taking by very
few, t would nevertheless be an interesting study in vegetable
physidogy, to take this Castle Pink and give it a careM culture
in the garden. It speedily changes its character, becomes larger
and doible, and no doubt if one cared to do over again what
has al]>ady been done, a race of florists' flowers might in time
be obt^ed from the progeny of the little Castle Pink, and how
far the^ would difier from the parent, may be judged by com-
paring i ftdl-blown show-flower with the little innocent original.

3S2 THK CiMBiXiag,

Of the C&mation and Ficot«e we hAve now htmdreda of Tvi^in,
the majority of them, however, have not been obtained bj tie
eoltiire of tiie original in this coontiy, but have been imported
from GermaDf , where it waa noticed long befise the BTiglU'i gii«

much attention to ita improTement, ^d where it is Hufficierdy plen
tiful to be within eaay reach of the experimenter. Heret is on
of the scarcest of wild flowers.

picoTBX, AX9 rat. S63

In diatingnuiluiig the varieties it will be noticed that the

Carnation is the most gorgeous, and the Picotee more light and

IBB OAXKinOV,

UI7. BichuMB and fulneaa of ctJonr ia the chief chuacUritlic «
the'fiTst — grace and delicacy of the second. The Cuntttioii ii
the moat tender, and is rery impatient of damp; bat the Bwtee

is hardier, and thriveB in aituations where the Carnation would
prove precarious. By the engravings here given, the reader
will see that the chief distinctions in pomt of colours are that

FtCOm, AMD PIKE.

865

the Camalioii is marked on the petals, irom the centre to the
edge, and through the edge in flakea or stripes of colcmr, bnt
the Ficotee has its mirldngs along the edges of the petdU only.
In the fltsists' rariety of the Knk the markings consist of what

is termed lacing, or circular stripes, bo placed on each petal ae
to leave an edge of white outside it and another inside, and the
lacing of colour shonld be of the same width as the outside

256 THB CABlfATIOK,

edging of white, as we shall see when we come to consider tkeii
several properties.

In the classification of colours we have Selfs, Flakes, and
Bizarres. The last-named are the most esteemed, as they are
richer in tintings and more gorgeous in effect on the exhibitioii
stage. Bizarres, (from the French, meaning odd, or irregular,)
are marked with two or more colours, irregularly placed on each
petal, the prevailing tints being pink, purple, and scarlet; those
known as Scarlet Bizarres have that colour predominating over
the purple or crimson. Flakes have their stripes coloured on a
white ground, and are classed as Scarlet, Eose, and Purple Flakes;
but in the Picotee, (named after the French, PiquettSe, "pencilled,")
there are both white and yellow groimds, and the coloured
markings are on the edffes of the petals, which are beautifully
fringed with rose, scarlet, purple, or some intermediate tint.

Among the varieties the least constant are the Picotees with
yellow grounds, but recent improvements in these have done
much toivards giving them a permanence of character. The ten-
dency of the yellow grounds to run back is no doubt attributable
to their high breeding, for they appear to be farther removed
from the original condition of the flower than any. We may
regard the Flake as the first departure from the natural Self;
the Bizarre as a second departure; the Picotee as a still farther
departure; and the yellow-grounded Picotee as the most highly-
bred of all, and the one most distant from the normal form,
especially if we regard Z). caryophyllus as the common parent
of the florists' varieties.

Besides the well-known varieties of Selfs, Bizarres, and Flakes,
there have lately been introduced some perpetual varieties of both
Carnations and Picotees; these flower from June to Kovember
in a constant succession, and not in separate eflbrts as the old
varieties do. Messrs. Carter, of High Holbom, in their impor-
tations of first-class Carnation and Picotee seeds from Sardinia,
have done good service to floriculture in their efforts to secure
supplies of these perpetuals in about fifty very distinct colours,
and we should recommend Carnation growers to give Carter's
"Sardinian contingent" a trial; there are at least a hundred
varieties of them, and plants raised from the seed may be ex-

FICOTEB, AKD FISIC. 257

X>ected to produce at least fiftj per cent of fine flowers, and
the remainder will have a fair average merit aa border decorations.
The Tree Carnation, lately introduced from the continent, is
much prized for forcing, and is a valuable addition to our winter
flowers.

CHAPTEE m.

PB07EBTIES OF CABNATIOlfS, P«30TEE8, AND PINES.

Thb properties of Carnations and Picotees are jealously looked
for by connoisseurs, and a severe judgment is exercised in deter-
mining the merits of show-flowers, and to this severity we owe
the excellence to which the several classes have been brought in
conforming to the accepted laws of colour and form. The fol-
lowing are those universally accepted: —

Properties of a good Carnation.-^There are five classes, namely,
1. Scarlet bizarres. 2. Pink or crimson bizarres. 3. Scarlet flakes.
4. Kose flakes. 5. Purple flakes. The individual plants of each
class are judged as follows:^—

The flower should be not less than two inches and a half across.
The guard or lower petals not less than six in number, must be
broad, thick, and smooth on the outside, free from notch or ser-
rature on the edge, and lapping over each other sufficiently to
form a circular rose-like flower; the more perfectly round the out-
line the better.

!Each layer of petals should be smaller than the layer immedi-
ately imder it; there should not be less than five or six layers of
petals laid regularly, and the flower should so rise in the centre
as to form half a ball. The petals should be stifl*, free from
notches, and slightly cupped.

The ground should be pure white, without specks of colour.
The stripes of colour should be clear and distinct, not running
into one another, nor confused, but dense, smooth at the edges of

258 THE OAKKATIOV,

the siaipes, and well defined. The colours must be briglit and
clear, whatever they may be; if there be two colours, the daiker
one cannot be too dark, or form too strong a contrast with the
lighter. With scarlet, the perfection would be a black; wi& pink
there cannot be too deep a crimson; with lilac, or light purple,
the second colour cannot be too dark a purple. If the colours
run into the white and tinge it, or the white is not pure, the
fault is very great, and pouncy spots or specks are highly ob-
jectionable.

The pod of the bloom should be long and large, to enable the
flower to bloom without bursting it; but this is rare. Decided
superiority of perfume should obtain the prize when competing
flowers are in other respects of balanced merit. As with other
florists' flowers, the standards of merit vary slightly in different
localitios; thus Lancashire Carnations are generally thin, and London
flowers frequently have too much stuff. The judicious grower will
select the best of each, without regard to schods and diques.

Properties of a good Picotee. — It is divided into seven classes.
1. Eed, heavy-edged. 2. Bed, light-edged. 3. Eose, heavy-edged.
4. Rose, light-edged. 5. Purple, heavy-edged. 6. Purple, light-
edged. 7. Yellow grounds, without any distinction as to the
breadth of the edge colour.

The characteristics o^ form are the same as for the Carnation,
but with regard to colour. — It should be dear, distinct, confined
exclusively to the edge of the petals, of equal breadth and uni-
form colour on each, and not running down, or feathering, neither
should the white ground run through the coloured border to the
edge of any one of the petals. The ground must be pure white,
without the slightest spot. Mrs. Norman, of which we give a
coloured portrait, is a fine example of properties and general
excellence.

Disqualifications of a Carnation or Picotee. — If there be any
petal dead or mutilated; if there be any one petal in which there
is no colour; if there be any one petal in which there is no
white: if a pod be split down to the sub-calyx; if a guard petal
be badly split; Notched edges are glaring faults, for which no
excellence in other respects compensates.

Characteristics of a good Pink. — The flower must be fully

PICOTSB, AND FIKE. 259

double; so much so, that it should form the half of a ball, rising
up to the centre, and should be perfectly circular in outline. Each
peM should be stout, broad, and smooth at the edges. This
smoothness is called rose-edged; that is, without any notches or
teeth. The lowest tier of petals should be the widest, reaching
in diameter at least from two to two inches and a half. The
next row should be shorter, so much so as to show the lacing
fully on the lower petals; and the next shorter again, and so on
up to the centre, which should be well filled up without confusion.
The ground colowr should be pure white. The lacing, or circular
stripe, should leave an edge of white outside of it, and another
inside; this lacing of colour should be of the same width as the
outside edging of white, and should be smooth and even at the
edges; in fact, laid on as if it had been traced by a skilful hand
with a fine camel-hair pencil. Then, at the bottom of the petals,
there should be another body of colour the same as the lacing,
to form a bold rich eye.

CHAPTEE IV.

GENERAL CTTLTUBS OF CARNATIONS AND FICOTSSS.

The culture of the Carnation may be said to begin in autumn,
and from the 1st. of September to the Ist. of November is the
best time in which to obtain stock, and the earlier the better.
Choose healthy young plants &ee from stain, vrithout side-shoots,
well rooted, very clean at the collar, and with hearty-looking
foliage, and if they come to hand in small nursery pots, give them
a shifl at once into forty-eights, two plants in a pot; shade them
till they begin to make fresh root, and then harden them off by
good exposure for a safe wintering. We have no natural soil
in which these plants can be grown, and hence, as it must be
specially prepared for them, and in Carnation and Picotee culture.

260 THB OABVATIOir,

the loil is to important a matter, tliat we must offisr some speoiL
observatkniB respeeting it.

The beat compost is one composed of porous loam from rotten
turres, dung decomposed ahnost to dust, and dean toxfy peat in
equal parts, with cme-half part of gritty river-sand, the whde to
be well incorporated, and sweetened, and made dean from yenm
of all kinds. If you can get a supply of turf from an uphmd
pasture, have it out four inches thick, and laid up in a heap for
twelve months, to be occasionally turned, and at every opportonily
exposed afresh ;to the action of frost to pulverize it thoroiiglily.
This has been recommended in previous pages for the culture of
other flowers, and is very essoitial in every department of flower
growing.

In the absence of turf soil, secure some sweet and well-decsyed
leaf-mould, and mix one part with' one part of two-years-old cow-
dung, and one-quarter part of sharp sand. If made three months
before wanted for use, and occasionally stirred, it will be £tf better
than if prepared only just before it is to be used. To make a
compost on a large scale, and with materials pretty easy of access,
take one load of maiden loam, the top spit only; it should be of
rather stiff texture, but not so clayey as to adhere to the fingers;
to this add half a load of rich black garden mould, two loads of
thoroughly-rotted horse-dung from an old cucumber or melon pit,
taking care that there is no mushroom spawn in it, and after having
broken and mixed these together, add two barrow-loads of sharp
sand, which has been well washed with water, and exposed to
the weather for some little time. The stiffer the loam the more
sand must be added. This ought to be made up a year in advance,
and at the last turnings a little hot lime should be sprinkled
through it to destroy vermin. But if you are compelled to make
up a compost for immediate use, give the preference to the first
one, in which the peat is of a sweetening nature, and corrective
of any rankness that may exist in the other ingredients.

But stirring and turning are not all-sufficient — every partide <rf
(;ompost ought to go through the hands in potting, to detect any
living enemies, such as wireworms, eggs of slugs, grubs, etc. In
potting, use plenty of drainage and new pots; if old ones, take
care that they are first well scrubbed inside and out, and exposed

PICOTXS, AND PIKE. 261

to ihe air. As soon as the plants are potted off, piace them in
cold frames and shade for a week, and then if they hav^e begun
to make new growth, expose to the air as much as possible, till
the winter frosts render it necessary to give them shelter. Except
during storms and frosts they should have plenty of air, and free
exposure all the winter long, the lights to be drawn off entirely
in mild weather, and only put on at night in case of frost; and
in seTere weather gire the additional protection o£ a mat, or a
layer of fern. During a continuance of cold, damp weather, the
pots may be allowed to get almost dry, and the lights may be
kept on; but on a change to a north-east wind, give air on the
opposite side by tilting, and during intervals of bright weather
take advantage to water and air them well, so as to promote a
steady and a strong growth. A common garden-frame on a stone
bottom is the best of winter quarters for them, but they may
be wintered in the same way as described in the treatise on the
Calceolaria, page 77; make a bed of ashes under a souih wall, put
over it a shutter on hinges, which should be lifted in dry weather.
During heavy rains and severe frosts the additional protection
of matting will be necessary. They are moderately hardy, and
with a little watchfulness may be safely wintered in this way.

About the middle of March is the time to begin to shift them
into Mooming pots, and they should be eleven inches across, well
drained, and the plants potted in pairs in the proper compost not
sifted, but passed through the hand as before, and a sharp look-
out kept up against the wireworm, which is a deadly foe to these
plants. They must be shifted by turning out the ball complete,
so that not a fibre is injured, and must be potted firm, and placed
in a sheltered spot till May, but not under cover. A bed of coal
ashes in a spot sheltered from east winds is "die best, and the
more sun, wind, and rain they have there, from May to the time
of flowering, the better. The whole stock should be in bloomiag
pots by the middle of April at the latest.

As the blooming shoots rise, sticks of proper height must be
inserted in the centre of the pots, and as they need tying to the
sticks, they must be attended to or the wind may snap them off.
Tie slackly, and look over them occasionally as the stems swell,
to see that none of them get kneed through undue pressure of

262 THE CABNATIOH,

the ligatures. When the buds begin to show how they are likely
to bloom, thin out the least promising, so as to leave the most
plump and healthy only; and just before they break, place aa
India-rubber band round each bud to prerent them bursting on
one side. Strips of bast are commonly used, but they are too
rigid, whereas the India-rubber, by its elasticity, yields to the
swelling of the bud, and promotes its equal expansion.

As to watering, these pknts are fond of moie when growing
vigorously, but during winter damp is injurious to them. When
you water, give them enough to go right through the soil, and
leave them thoroughly moist, but never give a drop till they reaQy
want it. As soon as the flower-stems begin to rise, they will be
benefitted by a weekly dose of manure water, which must be
discontinued as soon as the buds begin to open. While in bloom
they need shelter from sun and heavy rains.

When the bloom is over, cut down the flower-stem, and expose
the plants to whatever weather may happen; take off the layers
as soon as they are rooted, and put them at once into five-inch
pots in pairs, for these plants do not bear frequent shiftings well.
A succession of young plants should be kept up from year to year
of all kinds that prove worth preserving, and this leads us to
consider the several ways of propagating.

If grown in the open ground the soil should be of a similar
nature to that described for pot-culture ; supposing the bed to be
of a good sound loam, let it be manured liberally with very old
dung, and an admixture of decayed turf and sharp sand, and
before planting give the bed a good soaking with lime water to
destroy vermin, and render the soil thoroughly sweet. The plants
should be put in rows, twelve inches apart, and ten inches from
plant to plant. If planted out at once from newly-rooted layers
or pipings, it is necessary to get them in as early as possible, so
as to be well established before winter, and during severe weather
they may be protected with hoops and mats, but if kept over
winter in pots, they may be turned out at the end of March,
unless the spring is late, when it will be better to delay it till
the first or second week in April. In other respecte the culture
in the open ground is the same as that just described for pot-
plants.

PICOTBB, AVD PINK. 263

CHAPTEE V.

PBOPAGATIOK BT LAYBBS AND PIPINGS.

Cabnations are generally propagated by layering the shoots of
the season, but I myself prefer to raise them from cuttings, a
method which many object to, and against which many reasons
haTe been urged by growers of ripe experience. But I shall not
strive to fetter the amateur, but as plainly as possible set forth
the plainest method of performing both operations, and with a
few remarks on the advantages severally attendant on them, leave
him to pursue either or both at his pleasure, for this is not a
book of personal crotchets, but one of friendly gossip and earnest
work.

The best time to make layers is the latter end of July or
beginning of August; if deferred till late in the season they do
not get well rooted in time to be established before winter. Have
in readiness a small sharp knife, some ^elj-sifted compost made
of sharp sand, light loam, and leaf-mould in equal proportions, and
a number of hooked pegs from birch twigs, or cut from ripe fronds
of brakes. When all is ready, begin the work in a systematic
manner, dressing up all the stems of each plant first, before you
begin to layer any, that you may not get into confusion.

First of all trim away from the selected stems a few of the
lower leaves, sufficient to leave the stem bare for a little space
next the root, leaving as many leaves above that as possible —
there ought not to be less than six, and none of these should
be shortened, and remember the more leaves that remain the
more rapidly will the layer make root. You only want a clear
space for proper tonguing and pegging down, and a couple of
inches is sometimes enough for that. If there are more stems
than you can layer conveniently around the plant, cut away those
that are inconveniently placed, and treat as we shall presently
describe for pipings. When all are trimmed, remove a little of
the surface soil under each, and replace it with the sifted compost
in which the layers will root more quickly.

284 THZ CtXXlATlOXt

To tongue the layer, ent«r the knife od the under nde jut
below the third joint, half waj through tbe etem, and brief it
upwards, slanting through the joint, and cat tbe small portJon of
the Btem remaining on the tongue immediataly below the joinL
Keep the layer firmlj in the left hand, drop the Icnife from llie
right and pick up one of the pegs, thrust the long sharp end
into the soil, and with the short book catch the layer u the peg
descends, and press gently till the toogned portion of the layer
is held down firmly to the soil. In this Way lay down all iht
shoots that are intended to be layered, and oovex the aht joint

Lajering.

of each with an inch of the fine sandy compost. Give no water
for foor-and-twenty hours, so as to allow the wounds to heal
As soon as one plaut is finished, trim up and pot off the pipings
before they get miied with others, or injured by exposure to the
air. The layers should be watered the next day, and the plants
kept moderately moist as usual, and Ihey will soon be well rooted.
The annexed engraving will make the operation plain as to its
details.

la making cuttings, or, as they are termed, "pipings," it is
best to select the shoots that are below the middle strength, the

PICOTKB, AND PIKK.

8tr<wg onter-growing one* may be left for utoUter aeawm's flow-
criiig, or mqr bo layered ■> juat deacribed. The; ilioald be taken

B B.— Cut Mnootli

off in the earlg jiart of June, certainly before July, M Be to be
well rooted for final potting before wintor. The beat my to

266 THE CABNATIOK,

manage them is to oat them off square immediately below a
joint, and trim them to about three joints in length, r^noving
the grass from the lower part, so that none of it will be buiied
in planting the pipings, for their decay would commtmicate disease
to them.

There are several ways of rooting these pipings, but a genile
bottom heat is the most certain. Half fill with drainage a sufficient
nimiber of five-inch pots, then fill up to within an inch of the
top, with the compost that you would use in layering, and the
remaining inch with silver-sand. Wat^ gently to make all firm,
and insert the pipings all round close to the pot; put them into
a gentle hotbed, and shade for a week. Watch them daily, giving
water whenever the sand gets dry, and as soon as they b^in to
push fresh leaves, pot them in pairs in the regular compost.

They may be very successfully struck out of doors, in a raised
bed formed of rich compost. Make the bed up of good Carnation
soil, and let it be elevated three feet above the general surface.
When it is ready water it well, and then dibble the holes regu-
larly, and drop into each a little dry sand, and into the sand
insert the pipings; give another watering, and when the leaves
are dry, put hand-glasses over the pipings, and shade them from
the sun. See that they are kept moderately moist, but never
wet, and keep them pretty close and well- watched for a fortnight,
when they may have air. In six weeks pot them off into small
pots, or transplant them into a bed with a frame and lights over,
and about the middle of September give them a first potting in
pairs in five-inch pots.

But there is another method attended with still less trouble, and
which is perhaps more certain than any; it is the plan which I
prefer, and strongly recommend to those who have not much time
for the patient practice of gardeidng. Get some shallow pans
made with holes for drainage, or knock a hole in the bottom of
an ordinary seed-pan, put one or two crocks over the hole, and
fill the pan with equal parts of sand and light rich soil. Prepare
the pipings in the usual way, and insert them all over the soil,
water liberally to settle them, and place the pan on the flue of
a pit, or in a Waltonian Case, or on a gentle hotbed, and they
will soon root, and may be wintered in the pan. At the end of

PICOTSE, AND PIKE. 267

March you will find the plants to be strong and bnsby, and well
furnished with roots; and if they hare been freely exposed to air
and light — ^not drawn at aU — ^the roots quickly reaching the bottom
of the pan, spread out laterally, and are ready for a rapid growth
when the plants are put into blooming quarters. If this plan is
adopted early, the plants might be got into fire-inch pots before
winter, in the usual way. On this plan not one in a thousand
need be lost.

Kow as to the two methods of propagation, it must be admitted
that the pipings are the most trouble, but it is also certain that
they make the best plants. One special advantage is that pipings
may be taken off with no detriment to the plants, before they
are exhausted with blooming, when they are in a growing humour;
whereas layers must be waited for. The result is that plants
from pipings may always be had in advance of those irom layers;
and besides being originally more vigorous, they get more of the
season, to gain strength to pass the winter safely, for those that
are first cut off by frost and damp, are the layers that are but
imperfectly rooted, and potted too late to make fair growth before
innter.

Another advantage of being early in securing a stock of plants,
is that an imgenial season may come, and the blooming be retarded,
and many layers may not root at all, in which case he who has
taken time by the forelock in striking pipings, will thank his
stars, (or m^ if he pleases,) that he did not make the layers a
dernier resort, for if layers are not well ripetied they will not
root, or if they do they are apt to "damp off" in winter; but
a piping has an inch of solid stem above ground to sustain it,
which no snail will eat, and no ordinary damp effect, and as they
get well rooted, if properly managed, and have an ab initio sort
of growth, they make by far the heartiest stock to battle against
the inclemencies of winter. Now my dear reader do as you please,
layering is the orthodox way, and the one most practised, and if
you take to "piping" early in the season, be careM not to cut
and maim your plants, and by no means take all the shoots that
present themselves.

268 THB CASVAnOH,

CHAPTEE VI.

PBOFA&ATIOK BY 8BBD.

One good reason why new varieties of the Caroaiian. and
Pieotee will always command good prices is that they are the
most difiBcolt of attainment, even to the most expert raisers of
all florists' flowers. It is easy enough to raise seedlings, but the
difficulty is to get seeds that shall be worth the labour, for the
higher the breeding of the flowers the more sterile are these^
and of some sorts seeds would be worth at least a guinea each
grain; but even at that price it is not come-at-able. In the
well-doubled Carnation the power of perfecting seed is so much
diminished, that the most skilM florist cannot count on a supply,
and in the case of yellow Picotees it is next to impossible to
get it, and even when seed is obtained the production of new
and good varieties from it is so rare as to constitute the raising
of hybrids quite a lottery; but this is no reason why the
amateur grower should not take his chance with the professionals,
for the more rare a thing the more we prize it, and a new
first-class Carnation or Pieotee will always be worth more than
its weight in gold. As a matter of course the partially-doubled
flowers, if of good form and colour, are those most to be de-
pended on, and it should be remembered that as the perfection of
seed depends on the maturation of the pollen and the preparation
of the stigma for its reception, full exposure to sunshine and
heat are important aids to the production of fertile seed-pods.

When the chosen flowers have set for seed the decaying petals
should be removed, and even the tops of the sepals of the
calyx may be cut off*, but the scissors must not be allowed to
touch the styles because their function continues long after im-
pregnation appears to have been perfected. As soon as the
marked pods become brown or black gather them; tally each
with the name of the plant which produced it, and keep them
in paper bags till January. Then rub them out and put them

PIOOTIEB, AST) FIVE. 260

away till the middle of April, which is the time to sow them.

The compost for seeds should be of a similar texture and
character as that for the culture of plants, but a little less
rich, and rendered very fine and light. Sow the seeds in shallow
pans, or in shallow twenty-four pots, covering with a thin dusting
of the finest of the soil, and then place panes of window-glass
over them. If the soil is well moistened before the seed is
sprinkled on it, it will scarcely need any more moisture till they
are up, when the glasses must be tilted, and after a short time
removed. The young plants must not be pushed on too rapidly^
but have free exposure, with moderate shade during hot sun
till they are strong enough to bear it, and only moderately
watered till they get firm stems and healthy bunches of grass.
When they are large enough to handle prick them off into
sixties, and when they have filled these with roots pot them
into forty-eights, two in a pot, and treat as established plants.
They are two years in flowering, and when that event takes
place you must deal with them as so many criminals charged
with outraging the laws of properties, and a pretty many guilty
wretches you are sure to find that must undergo capital punish-
ment. In fact you must get rid of every flower that is not of
real merit, and an addition to what we already possess, and if
you have a {ew really good things you will be well rewarded
fpr your trouble. It is quite useless to preserve seedlings of
any kind that are of merely middling value, for the world is
quite full enough already of middling things that might well be
spared. I should advise the lover of the Carnation to try a
pinch of the seed sent out by Carter, and to which I have
elsewhere referred.

270

THE CARNATIOK,

CHAPTEE VII.

CULTUBB OF SPECIMEN PLANTS. PBEPABATIOVS FOB EXHIBimG.

In selecting the plants for exhibition choose liie healthiest,
with ample foliage, stout stems, and short joints. Thej are
generally exhibited in sets of six Carnations and six Fiixitees,
dissimilar blooms, and in stands, and the selected plants should
be yery distinct in character, and yarieties of high merit.

By the middle of June you will haye to commence the actual
preparation of the plants, and as the flower-stems rise, one only
must be left to each plant, and only the three top-buds should
be left on it for blooming, and these not too close, but so as
to bloom freely.

The stages and support-sticks are important matters, and any
make-shift will be pretty sure to fail in attaining the desired end
of helping the plants into perfect bloom. The platform of the
stage should be quite ten feet high, and four feet aboye the
platform there must be an awning running on iron rods or on
strong laths, so that it can be entirely remoyed or quickly re-
placed, to shelter the plants from sun and rain, or giye them
the full daylight, as may be necessary. The feet of the stage
should stand in pans made for the purpose. Those that are

FicoTXB, AND fihe:. 271

sometimes used in planting dahlias are of the kind required,
and they may be described as fifteen inches wide and four deep.
In the centre is a hollow or vacancy, through which the posts
pass to the ground, and around this orifice is a raised lim of
the same height as the external lim of the pan, forming a
circular cup or cistern to hold water, so that the feet of the
stage are, when placed in the orifices, surrounded with water to
prevent vermin from ascending to attack the plants. The great
saving of trouble and the lessening of anxiety which accompanies
the use of a proper stage, renders it far preferable to any other
plan of protection; but in the absence of such a contrivance,
the flowers intended for exhibition must be shaded with tin imi-
brellas or canvas caps, of the form already described at page
200 of the treatise on *<The Dahlia." These should be nine or

Fan for foot of stage.

ten inches in diameter, one for each plant, having a socket in
the middle to receive the tops of the support-sticks. The following
directions on this head are given in that invaluable work the
"Cottage Gardeners' Dictionary:" — "Those umbrellas which are
formed of tin are the best, but if you make them of canvas,
first make little round frames, having the rim formed with slips
of wire, cane, etc., the above width, with cross-slips of the same
materials, contriving a socket of lead or tin in the middle, for
the support-stick to go quite through, and upon these frames paste
or sew canvas, which paint with oil-colour. Either covers are
placed over the flowers by running the support-stick up through
the hole or socket in the middle, and resting the cap upon a
piece of wire or peg, put across through holes in the stick, at
such a height from the flower as to screen it from the sun and
rains.
Give attention to continue to tie up neatly the flower-stalks of

yii TBS camnaax,

. the |J&nta m they advance in sUtan.

.,--:||~^ When diey arrive at their fiill height,

j^F % SQpport them erect at top with virea,

^^P m haviog ft small eye or ring st one end

^^fe^ ^ ^^y for the reception of the flower-rtalk, M

put the other end into boles made in

the mpport-sticks- These wires should

be 6re or six inohea long, and sevend

holes are made in tlie upper part of

the sticks; the 6rst at the height of

the bottom of the flowM-pod, the other

above that an inch or two distant; and

place the wires in the hides lower of

higher, that the ring may be just even

J with the base of tie calyx, to support

k y, the flower in an upright posltitm, and

^ ^/ by drawing the wire less or more out,

^L / the flower b preserved at such distance

^ P'^SW from the support as shall seem neoessaiy

to give it proper room to erpand; and

if two or three of the like wires are

placed also in the lower parts of the

support-sticks, placing the stem of the

flowers also in the eye of the wires, all

the tyings may he cut away."

There are a few other precautions
necessary to success, aud these bear
especially on promoting the regnlar
opening of the flower, and its disposal after it has expanded. The
pods have sometimes a tendency to atop short in their growth, and
open at the edge of all the sepals, and sometimes to burst along
one side. This is occasionally owing to a too long withholding of
water, but with every care it will frequently happen: and to guard
against it slip over every bud, just before it begins to burst, a small
India-rubber band, such as are sold by stationers; strips of boas
are generally used, but an elastic material is far preferable. Bnt
this is not all-sufficient, for as soon as the calyx begins to break,
it must be carefully slit from the top in two other places, by

FIOOTEX, AKD FINE.

273

means of a small pair of narrow-pointed scissors; the natural
opening and the artificial ones should be at equal distances from
each other. At this juncture make ready a sufficient number of disks
to dress the flowers on. These collars should be of stiff white paper
or thin card, cut circular, and three or four inches in diameter,
having a hole in the centre, and a slit from the outer edge to
the central perforation. By bending, the collar is easily slipped
on the pod, to receive the bottom of the petals withinside the

ccdifx, the leaves of which are torn down and spread out to
receive and support the collar, and enable the petals to expand
equally. Upon the collar the petals must now be cleverly arranged,
each must be brought down into its place as the flower opens,
and every imperfect petal must be pulled away. Spread out the
longest petals undermost, and the next longest upon these, and
so on to the middle; the more tiers of perfect petals a flower
has, the greater is its value and the esteem in which it is held,
other points of course being equal.

274 THE CARNATION,

CHAPTER YIII.

PINKS AS SHOW AND BOBDEB-FLOWEBS. TBEB CABNATIONS.

FOBCING.

The beauty of the Pink is very different from that of the
Carnation or Picotee; the flakes and ribbons of one, and the
deHcate edgings of the other, never occur in the Pink, which is
marked with lacings round each petal, as if the colour had been
laid on with an artist's pencil; but there is always colour at the
base of the petal, and sometimes one-third along the petal, so
as to form a centre or eye of colour, and this eye never occurs
in the Carnation or Picotee. In the pot-culture and the propa-
gation of Pinks, the same rules apply as have been laid down
for the treatment of Carnations; but the Pink is much more largely
used as a border-flower, or is bloomed in collections in beds, and
thus takes a place beside the pansy, anemone, and ranunculus.

To keep up a collection of high-class merit, the florist must
depend entirely on "young stuff," for old plants are of little use
except as border ornaments; but for this purpose they are valu-
able, and the collection must be kept up with layers, pipings,
and seedlings, according to the methods already described. As
soon as the show-flowers are out of bloom take them up, trim
off the flower-stems, and plant them in the borders a little deeper
than they were before. They will soon put out fresh roots, and
form strong bushy plants, and next season will flower most
abundantly.

The month of September is the best time to put out the new
stock of young plants, and they ought to be grown on raised
beds, formed every year of fresh soil — two parts sweet turfy loam,
and one part well-decayed dung, the whole thoroughly mixed and
pulverised long before the time of planting. The bed should be
raised six inches above the level of the surrounding soil, and the
surface should rise towards the middle like a pitched roof; the
bottom to be well drained, and the soil uniformly one foot deep.

PICOTEE, AND PINK. 276

Xhe stock should be put out in these beds the first week in
September, twelve inches apart every way. Some growers defer
the planting till October, but if the winter comes in early, with
much wet, plants put out so late are likely to suffer. During

severe weather the bed should be hooped over, and the plants
protected with mats; but these should be removed at every oppor-
tunity, that the plants may enjoy plenty of air and light. In
the spring the soil must be occasionally stirred, and the surface
mulched with decayed stable dung; and during dry weather, just
before flowering, the plants should be well watered with weak
liquid manure. In all other points the treatment of Pinks is the
same as that of Carnations and Picotees.

Tree Carnations are of much more robust growth than the
florists* kinds, and should be potted singly. If really fine plants
are wanted, do not allow them to bloom the first year, but nip
off the top to promote a bushy habit, and allow no flower-stems
to rise till the second autumn. Those intended for blooming early
in the winter, should be put into eight-inch pots in the spring,
and encouraged to grow freely and kept from blooming. Another
lot may be potted in the same way about the middle of July,
to bloom in the early spring. These are invaluable in the winter
as greenhouse and conservatory ornaments. They throw up numer-
ous flower-stems, and make a splendid show that lasts all the
winter through. The Tree varieties are the best for forcing, but
all other kinds may be forced, the freest growers being the best
for the purpose. Pot them singly in eight-inch pots as soon as
they have made root, and clioose those of most forward growth.
Grow them strong by fair exposure, and at Christmas begin with
a temperature of 45°, raise it to 60° by the 1st. of January, to
55°, with a rise of G° or 7° during sunshine, a week or two
afterwards, and you will not lack spring flowers or spring odours.

• t»r .-<*,. , f . I| f

276 THE CABNATION,

CHAPTEE IX.

ENEMIES OF THE CABNATION.

The principal enemies of the Carnation are green fly, wirewonn,
red spider, and mildew; the last is the most serious of all. In
the preceding pages many remarks occnr on the means necessary
to remove insect pests, and to avoid unnecessary repetition, ve
shall here only remark that slices of carrot or potatoe are eflBcient
traps for wire worms; tobacco-smoke is the remedy against the
aphis, and sponging every leaf with tepid water the best mode
of eradicating red spider. But the mildew is peculiar to this tribe
of plants, and if not checked in time may destroy a whole col-
lection. The cause is damp, and the first step to a cure is to insure
a dry air to the stock by ventilating the frames, or removing
those affected to another spot. The affected parts should be
sprinkled with sulphur, and if any leaves appear particularly affected,
and especially if hlach spot appears, which is an aggravated form
of mildew, remove those leaves immediately.

Here we close our pages again for a month, during which
interval the entire face of nature will be changed, and the price
of coals and lamb's wool will take precedence of debates on flowers.
But we shall not forget that the bloom of beauty awaits us when
its season shaU return, and our pen will keep us in remembrance
of our duties, our readers, and our out-door pleasures, which in
winter are as rich in hope and anticipation as they have been for
months past in the realization of the joy of flowers. "God made
the country, and man made the town," and a perpetual summer
would doubtless be as unwelcome as an endless frost, for our
feelings change with the seasons, and the yule-log sends its light
in advance, to consecrate those flowers of domestic peace which
blossom to perfection at the fireside.

It is not dreary,

Nor sad nor weary,

But mmply a teason of rest.

PICOTBE, AKD PINK.

277

SELECTION OF VARIETIES.

Thu following list indades a selection of the finest sorts from the stock of Mr. John
Holland, of Bradshaw Gardens, Middleton, near Manchester, who is the leading grower
of these beautiful flowers. Those marked thus • are new varieties of the very highest
merit. London purchasers have the advantage of selecting from the stock of Mr.
Turner, of Slough, who admirably represents this class of flowers, and retains in his
stock none hat the most valued varieties.

CARNATIONS.

SCARLET BIZABBES.

Appleby's Rainbow.
Atterton's Fanny Gardner.
Bunn*8 Lord Lcwisham.
Golcutt's Brutus.
Ely's Jolly Dragoon.

Sir Joseph Paxton.

Hale's Prince Albert,
Heap's Mr. Peto.
Hepworth's Brilliant.
Holland's Mr. Ainsworth.
Holliday's Lord Rancliffe.
Kaye's Excelsior.
Martin's Splendid.
May's Bardolph.

Coriolanus.

BoUingbroke.

Puxley's Prince Albert.

Howard.

Omar Pasha.

Silistria.

Rainford's Game Boy.
Slater's Robin Hood.
Strong's Duke of York.
Turner's Oliver Goldsmith.

PINK OR CRIMSON BIZABRES.

Cartwright's Rainbow.

Dodwell's Alice.

Fanny.

Ely's Lord Milton.
Gill's Lord Goderich.
Haines's Black Diamond.
May's Falconbridge.

Owen Glendower.

Galatea.

Admiral Dundas.

Prince of Denmark.

John O'Gaunt

Puxley's Prince Albert.

Jenny Lind.

King of Carnations.

Hope.

General Simpson.

John Gair.

Lord Cardigan.

Morgan May.

Sir Colin Campbell.

Tenby Rival.

Warrior.

Parker's Captain Franklin.
Glory.

Slater's Warrior.
Ward's Sarah Payne.

SCARLET FLAKES.

Addenbrook's Lydia.

278

THE CABKATION,

Cbadwick's Ivanhoe.
Dodwell's Wilfred.
Ely's Sir William Beckett.
Headley's Victoria Regina.
Hedderley's Sportsman.
HoUyoake's Dido.
Kayo's Magnet.

— Comet.

York and Lancaster.

May's Justice Shallow.

Acamus.

Christopher Sly.

Exit.

Cromwell.

Canute.

Prince of Wales.
Puxley's Rising Sun.

Acca.

Orion.

Simpson's Queen Victoria.
Wallis's Beauty of Cradley.

ROSE FLAKES.

Baildon's Lady of the Manor.

Constellation.

Bramma's Uncle Tom.
Brook's Flora's Garland.
Ely's Lady Gardener.

Lovely Ann.

Fairy Queen.

Fletcher's Duchess of Devonshire.
Hepworth's Maid of Athens.

Jackson's Aglaia.
May's Lorenzo.

Poor Tom.

Aglaia.

Friar Lawrence.

Benedict.

Talbot.

King John.

Morton's Lovely Mary.
Puxley's Princess Royal.

Madame Sontag.

Rosy Queen.
Schofield's Magnificent.
Tongue's Prudence.

PURPLE FLAKES.

Dodwell's Edith.
Ely's Mango.
Fletcher's Miss Dawson.
Holland's Earl of Wilton.
I Admiral Napier.

Colonel Windham.

Jackson's Triumphant.

Lee's Napoleon.

Mansley's Beauty of Woodhouse.

May's Ascendant.

Jacques.

Puxley's Prince Arthur.
Prince Albert.
Slater's William Bow.
Turner's Ulysses.

PICOTEES.

Those flowers marked h are heavy-edged—/ light-edged. Those not marked are
intermediate.

PURPLE-EDGED.

Bayley's Duke of Devonshire, h.
Borrough's President, h,
* Dodwell's Amy Robsart.

Dodwell's Captain Dalgetty, h.

Little Harry Bertram. A.

Annot Lyle, L

Mrs. Bayley, h.

PICOTBB, AND FINK.

279

Eyre's Mrs. Eyre, /.
Fellow's Countess, A.
Holland's Countess of Wilton, A.

Miss Holland, L

Hudson's Cella, /.
Keynes's Mrs. Keynes, I
Matthew's Enchantress, /.

Bridesmaid, /.

May's Portia.

' fiianca.

Nerissa, A.

Amazon, A.

• Finis, /.

Mitchell's NuUi Secundus.
Norman's Lord Nelson, A.

Mrs. Keynes, /.

Read's Fair Helen.

Turner's Lady Harriet Moore, A.

Norab, /.

Mrs. May, A.

• Mrs. Aitkin.

* Bessie.

Wood's Princess Alice.

BED-EDOED.

Brook's Duchess of Cambridge, A.
Buswell's Theodore, A.
Fellow's Giulia Romano, A.
Headley's Mrs. Headley, A.

Prince Albert.

• Chancellor, A.

Hepworth's King John, A.
Hoyle's Mrs. Hoyle, A.
Kirtland's Henry VIIL, L

Miss Holbeck, /.

Countess Waldegrave, /.

Marris's Prince of Wales, A.

Hogarth, A.

May's Thisbe, A.

Norman's Mrs. Norman, A, (fron-
tispiece.)

James II., A.

Princess ArneUa, /.

Schofield's Ann, /.
Turner's Lady Shadwdl, A.

Mrs. Kelke, /.

Rosetta, /.

Mrs. Dodwell, A.

Eugenie, /.

Dr. Pitman, A.

— Sultana.

— Mrs. Lochner, A.

Youell's Gem, /.

ROSE AND 8CABLET-EDOED.

Barnard's Mrs. Barnard, /.
DodweU's Kate, A.
Laura.

- Mrs. Turner, /.

DodweU's Minnie.
Fellow's Frances, /.

' Marion, A.

Giddin's Miss Desborough.
Green's Queen Victoria, A.
Headley's Venus, A.
Hoyle's Alice, A.
Jackson's Mrs. Crowe, I,
Lady Fair.
Marris's Victoria Regina, A.

Bertha.

No. 49.

May's Calliope.

Rosalind.

Thalia, A,

Turner's Ariel* I,

Miss Pusley, /.

Lady Grenville, A.

Lady Eleanor Cathcart, A.

Mrs. Drake, A.

Mrs. Gair> I,

Mrs. Pitman, A.

YELLOW.

Barraud's Euphemia.
Bragg's Princess Alice.
Brock's Aristides.

280

THE CABNATION,

Champion.

May's Malay Chief.

MalYoUo.

Mrs. Barman, /.
Wellington's Le Amiable.

Le Petit Princess.

Le Marquis.

Le Empcratrice.

Duke of Marlborough.

Wellington's Duchess of Marlboro'.

Rosette.

La Empress.

Guernsey Maid.

. Lady Sale.

The Rev. J. ShadweU.

FANCY.

Holland's Countess of EUesmerc.

'iOa

Lc

PINKS.

PURPLE-LACED.

Auckland's Mary.
Bayley's Daniel O'Rourke.
Bragg's James Hogg.

Purple Perfection.

Prince of Wales.

Ruby.

Colcutt's Sappho.
Eldridge's Pearl.
Ellis's Post Captain.
Faulkner's Duke of St. Alban's.
Giddln's Jenny Lind.
Hand's Pilot.

Hudson's Magnificent.

. Sarah Ann.

' Triumphant.

— Selina.

Kirtland's Vesta.

Lightbody's Arnotdale.

Looker's Warner Henly.

— Attraction.

, Reliance.

Duke of Wellington.

— Eclipse.

_ Lavinia.

_ Alfred.

— Juno.

Purity.

Duchess of Marlborough.

Maclean's Brunette.

Great Criterion.

Marris's Geraldine.
Norman's Colchester Cardinal.

Mrs. Norman.

Partington's William TeU.
Raynor's Flying Dutchman.
Read's Ada.
Richard Cobden.
Taylor's Mango.
Teebey's Thunderer.

Blackboy.

Turner's Masterpiece.

_ Optima.

Mrs. Judd.

Alice.

Earl of Carlisle.

Glory.

Richard Andrews.

Maclean's Narborough Buck.

Westbrook's Star.
Wilmer's Laura.

RED -LACED.

Bragg's Lord C. Wellesley.

Mrs. Bragg.

Bunkell's Maria.

Hilyer's Goliah.

Hodge's Melona.

HoUyoakc's Duchess of Devonshire.

Keynes's Mrs. Wolfe.

PICOTBB, AND PINK.

281

s Othello.

— Leader.

q's (alias) Cant's Criterion.

— Mrs. Maclean.

— New Criterion.
s Caroline.

. Angelina.
*s Esther.

— Beauty of SalthiU.

^ Duke of Devonshire.

BLACK AND WHITE.

Beauty of Clayton-le-moor.
Beauty of Home.
Black-eyed Susan.
Fairhrother's Beauty of Blackburn.
Gregson's Lady Bold Houghton.
Hooper's Favourite.
Standard of England.
Virgin Queen.

..^m^mmmtat

ll

1

J

GARDEN FAVOURITES.

THE

UEICULA, POLYANTHUS,
AND PEMULA:

THEIR

HISTORY, PEOPERTIES, CULTIVATION,
PROPAGATION) AND GENERAL MANAGEMENT

IN ALL SEASONS.

BY SHIRLEY HIBBERD,

Author of "Rustic Adornments for Homes of Taste," etc.

"The varied colours run, and while they break
On the charm'd eye, the exulting florist marks
With secret pride the wonder of his hand.

* * • *

Infinite numbers, delicacies, smells.
With hues on hues expression cannot paint.
The breath of nature, and her endless bloom."

LONDON:

OOMBRIDGE AND SONS, 5, PATEENOSTEE EOW.

M DCCC LVII.

THE AUKICULA, POLYANTHUS,

AND PEIMULA.

CHAPTEE I.

'*It is the same! it is the very scent.
That hland, yet luscious, meadow-breathing sweet
Which I remember when my childish feet.
With a new life's rejoicing spirit, went
Tbro* the deep grass with wild flowers richly blent.
That smiled to high Heaven from their verdant seat."

8PBING FLOWEBS. — THE AUEICULA AND ITS FEIEKDS.

Blessed is the ministration of flowers to the heart and mind
of man! They call him aside from the hurry of life into the repose
of dewy verdure, where he may breathe freely in the midst of
freshening odours, and for awhile forget ''the weariness, the fever,
and the fret" that have too long chafed his spirit, and blighted the
noblest aspirations of his being. At this dead season, when I^ature
wears her gloomiest aspect, and the howling of the storm among
the barren branches assures us of the cessation of growth in all
things, the heart leans forward into the friture, and imagination
already pictures the first glow of the spring flowers which are
to usher in another year of life and gladness. It is the moral of
the fact which entrances us; it is the assurance that death shall
not utterly prevail, that "out of the darkest evil grows the brightest
hope," that invests the spring flower with a meaning higher and

z

284 THE AUBICULA,

more loyely far than any appeal it makes to vision, and thus
compels us to welcome it as a part of the "silver lining" to the
cloud of winter, which we recognise as one of the grand providences
of the world. The spring flower, emerging into life and heaaty
from the death-like stillness of winter, is an emblem of that re*
newal of man's life beyond the grave which God himself has
promised, and the certainty of which man feels suggested to him
in his own spiritual experiences, and every solitary reflection on
the nature of his relation to the Most High. Flowers always
foreshow more than they express, and spring flowers are the most
spiritually suggestive of any, for there is a moral grandeur in
every circumstance of their birth, and growth, and maturation;
they show how life may be called out of death, and its mysterioiu
web woven from materials apparently antagonistic to its nature.
They represent the morning of creation, when Grod quickened the
womb of Chaos, and called the glory of the world from utter
negative into positive strength of developmenti ^^^ on all things
stamped the freshness of that primal spring and beginning of
natural and human history.

Is it not with a shadowy consciousness of man's dependence
on Grod for the renewal of seasons, and the continuance of life
from year to year, that we hail with such strong yet quiet joy
the appearance of the earliest flowers? Has not the presence
of winter, sublime as its lessons may be, half persuaded us that
we have come to the "end of things created," and that hence we
fly to the flrst spring blossom as a token that Time still wheels
the seasons round according to Almighty appointment, and Death
is in no wise "an eternal sleep?" God literally creates the universe
every moment, and the daisy on the sod is as good a witness as
"Orion and Arcturus huge" of the presence and work of Him
by whom, and to whom, and through whom are all things.

Just think of the spring flowers, what they are. The Florist
counts them by hundreds, for all the climes of the earth have
contributed to his vernal gatherings, but on the hedgerow and
among the grey Oaks of the woodland what precious homely things
does spring bring forth ! Does not the sunshine fall softer where
the daisies grow? and do we not hail the first of that pretty race
as the choicest pearl in earth's sea of verdure, the flower of home

POLYANTHUS, AND PBIMULA. 285

and childhood, and youthful innocence, that carries the memory
back to the world of buttercups, when every meadow was a "field
of the cloth of gold," and the heart was in blissful ignorance of
the clouds of care that have since shadowed the once bright heaven
of its lifetime?

**Well by reson men it calle nude,
The daisie, or else the eye of dale,
The emprise and the flowre of flowris all."

If we were to assemble the spring flowers in a grand procession,
what a countless troop of virgins should we have to invoke the
season of verdure! And every one would be a flower of childhood
and home, that would bring to memory many a refreshing reminis*
cence. We should call to mind our gleeful clapping of hands
when, as the fog of a February morning cleared away, the first
burst of crocuses and snowdrops broke upon us, and we thought
simimer would come in a week or two, or perhaps asked "if it
was summer yet?" not knowing, as we do now, how with patience
and hope we must wait for the realization of every blessing. We
should single out from that vestal throng of virgin meekness many
of our earliest and dearest of out-door friends, the delicate dafibdil,
the shy violet, that with its odour steals upon us unseen, like
music out of darkness. We should feel a strange thrill and
fluttering of the heart as daisies and buttercups moved along
before us, but the height of our joy would be to see the dainty
primrose, all freshness, and tenderness, and delicacy, with its bright
green garments and homely face of content, as it glided past hand
in hand with the emerald oxalis and the half-blown vernal squill,
whispering as it went "cowslips are coming." Oh, the joys of
youth! how they hover in the dream-land of memory, every bright
incident among them woven around with delicate spring flowers!
If the heart is not cold as stone, it must remember with joyful
tears the sunny pictures of delight in which life was set from
the beginning, when the ftirrowed brow and grey hairs were
benignly hidden in the future. We began life with primroses,
that would only minister to our love of beauty, for flowers are
the soul's medicines; but autumn finds us searching for blackberries
to gratify avarice in the pursuit of utility in the midst of thorns
fuid briers. Life was then all novelty, checkered, perhaps, with

286 THE AUBICULA,

occasional passing sorrows, that seemed to say the story was too
good to be true; but joy set his bright mark high above all other
things, and the young soul clapped its wings gladly in an atmosphere
of sunbeams. Oh, if we could again watch the snowy winter away
with such a zest as we then did to catch sight of the first crocus,
if we could fling conventionality from us, and once more scream,
and shout, and roU frantic in the long gra^s among the blinking
buttercups; if we could again feel the hushed serenity with which
we were possessed when wandering alone to gather primroses and
cowslips, we should cry "the days of my youth. Oh stay for ever!
Oh Time, teach us none of thy bitter lessons!" And yet after
all we were ignorant of our bliss, and had we not learned that
life has its dark as well as its sunny side, we should be blind
to memory's fairest pictures, and forgetful of the precious recol-
lections of the past; therefore let us thank Grod for flowers, which
awaken heavenly emotions within us, and by their rise and fall,
their regular succession and perennial circuit of change and
character, teach us to accept the order of things appointed by
Heaven as the only one adapted to our material wants and
spiritual desires.

**Receive
Thanks, blessings, love for these thy lavish boons,
And, most of all, their heavenward influences,
O Thou that giveat us flowers."

Coming to matters of fact, the subject of this treatise might
be dealt with in as pleasing a manner as any that we have had
or shall have in the whole series. It would be a poor wit that
could not preach a good sermon or write a good essay on a primrose
alone, for it is a pet of the poets, a genuine old English and
national friend, and, botanically considered, one of the most in-
teresting flowers in our home Flora, The primrose is the repre-
sentative of the pretty order to which the Auricula belongs, and
the order is called after it Primulacce. Its very name is "love's
own poetry," for it proclaims it as the first or primal flower of
the spring garland. This order is one of the most distinct of any,
and whoever has noted a primrose well, will immediately recog-
nise any member of the family, and assign to it the cowslip, the
polyanthus, the Auricula, the cyclamen, the pimpernel, and the

F0I.TUITHU8, AND PRIKrtl. 287

raie water violet. The diatmctiTe featnrea of the order, ag exhibited
in the pritnroee, are a tabular calyx, marked with &ve distinct
angles, ft aalver^haped corolla, which contraeU where it enters
the tnbe. The foliation is also veij jnnch alike in the sereral
members of the fiunilj, nsoallj springing from the root and forming

a low tufl, oat of which the flowers rise in umbels or tmsses.
In its minnter characters the flower has a slender style, and what
is termed a capitate stigms. In the primrose and its near allies
the polyanthus and Anrioula, the seed-capsule opens naturally
by ten teeth, but in the pimpernel the seed-ressel resembles a

288 THE ATTBICULA,

round case with a lid, wbich may be taken off, when it displays
a great number of seeds packed closely together; but a feature
common to the whole order is that the anthers have scarcely any
filaments, and are fixed to the corolla in the centre of the lobes,
instead of being alternate to them, and the capsule is only one-
celled, and with a central placentra to which the seeds are attached.
The majority of flowers in this order are pale-coloured and early
in blooming, and firom their associations with spring-time and
country pleasures have been brarely celebrated in. our national
song. Clare gives a hearty welcome to the

<*Pale primroBe! starting up between
Dead matted leaves of ash and oak that strew
The every lawn, the wood, and ^inney through,

'Mid weeping moas and ivy's darker green.
How much thy presoice beautifies the ground !

Kirke White dedicates to it one of the sweetest of his pathetic
odes.

**Wild o£bpring of a dark and sullen sire.
Whose modest form, so delicately fine,
Was nursed in whirling storms,
And cradled in the winds."

And throughout Chaucer, Spenser, Shakspere, and Herrick, the
allusions to this and the paigle or cowslip are innumerable, and
ever associative with pictures of innocence and thoughts of spring.
Ben Jonson, enumerating the flowers of spring, speaks of

* 'Bright day's eyes, and the lips of cows;"

and in times when every good housewife made birch wine and
cowslip wine the paigle had a national importance, and though
it ceased to bloom out of doors, its clear, fragrant, wholesome
juices gladdened the heart till spring came again. Then it was
that the village maiden could say as Christabel did of her wild-
flower drink —

"It is a wine of virtuous powers;
My mother made it of wild flowers."

The Auricula, which bears so close a resemblance both in
structure and habits to the primrose and polyanthus, is a genuine

FOLTAKTHTS, AND PRIMULA. 289

old English flower, ^ongh its improyement oa a Rubjeet of flori-
oaltnnl art is coraparatirelj recent. In tbe cottaga garden it
ii a very tncient friend, aad Dame Thrifty would aa sdoq think
of partiiig with her faroimte tabby «it as wiUi that little row of
mealy ''reckleMes' that hare braved bo many hot aumraera and cold
winters in her lattice window or out in the forecourt. At the
odier extreme m to oullure, humble life still claims the Auricula

as its own flower, and the poor Lancashire weaver, or the amoke-
dried artizan of the south Yorkahire towna. ehowa this flower in
its highcat state of perfection, being as choice and critical in its
breeding as an Arab with his high-blood marea. Indeed with
the artizana of many towna the Auricula ia the Bnl)jeot of a
passion aa great as ever the Patch have felt for the hyacinth

290 THB AUBICULA,

or tulip, and though there are many professional growers who
give much of their heart to it, it is ahnost ezclusiyelj an amateur's
flower. Though a natiire of the Alps, it has long been known
here. Grerarde records its cultiyation as being very general about
London at the end of the sixteenth century; it was then known
by the name of Bear*s £ar8, and this ursine comparison prevails
in its technology generally. Botanists hare it Auricula ursifiorOf
though its modem name is Primula auricula, the specific term
still keeping to the idea of an ear; the French call it Oreille
cTOurs, the Italians Orecchia d^Orso, and the Grermans Bdrenorhlein,

The Auricula is, like most of its kindred, strictly Alpine b
constitution; it is found wild on the Swiss Alps, and in the elevated
regions of Italy and Germany, and has been met in the vicinitj
of Astrakan. The Flemish gardeners have the repute of first
making it generally known on the Continent, but nowhere has it
been so much improved and highly cultivated as in Britain. In
its wild state its chief colours are red and yellow, and the mealy
powder which covers both blossom and leaves is common to it
whether wild or cultivated. There is, however, a variety known
to florists as Alpine Auriculas, which have a fresh green foliage
almost entirely free from this powder; these are more easily cul-
tivated than the others, but never equal them in nchness of
colouring or massiveness of form and structure.

Like the primrose, the Auricula is one of the earliest spring
blossoms. It opens into its full beauty of colouring with great
vigour immediately after frosts ; indeed we have had the Alpine
sorts in full bloom at the very time that the earth around them
was frozen hard, and but few other signs of life visible. The
change effected in it by a long course of patient culture is one
of the most remarkable that can be cited; not only does it sport
into all the colours of the rainbow, from dazzling gold to imperial
purple, but it takes tints and markings, of geometric regularity,
in its green, brown, grey, and maroon marblings, edgings, and
centreings, and conforms as closely to the law of properties as
any flower in our floral lists. These qualities in a great measure
account for the enthusiasm felt for a flower which is of little use
in the general decoration of high-class gardens, for it is no com-
petitor with the rose, the pelargonium, or the calceolaria; its

POLTA1ITHI78, AND PBIHULA. 291

beauties are distinct from all the gay summer blossoms, and
even for the mixed border it can never become a prominent
ornament, on account of its peculiar individuality both of appearaooe
and constitution.

In the linnssan system the Auricula is placed in the fifth class,
Pentandria, and the first order, Monogyniat having five stamens
and one pistil. There are five distinct species of Auricula cul-
tivated in gardens, all of which were introduced firom Switzerland
about 1696, namely, Prinmla auricula, yellow; P. calycantha,
which has a coloured calyx; P. inUgerrima, P. lutea, yellow,
of which there is a double variety much prized for bedding; and
P, hortensis, the parent of the splendid race of show flowers.
These are probably rather varieties than species, but they are
very distinct in character, and have special uses in garden and
greenhouse decoration.

CHAPTEE n.

"See
Where, arrayed in sparkling dress and velvet pride,
Like brilliant stars arranged in splendid row,
The prond Auriculas their lustre show."

Klbist.

C0N8TITUTI0K OF THE AUEICULA. — FBOFBBTIES OF SHOW FLOWEBS.

The Auricula is essentially & fancy fiower. To take any pride
or pleasure in its culture, we must keep close to fioricultural
rules, and, whether we exhibit or not, grow the fiower after
exhibition models. It is not a subject for bedding in any general
way; it does not produce masses of mere colour, which by contrast
and judicious grouping would give special tone to any gardening
scene; — ^its whole beauty is confined to its individual character;
and though it is universally loved and cherished for its sweet

298 THB AURICtTLA,

perfume, its find foliage, and its exquisite pencillings, it is slmost
impossible to regard it in any other light than as a troe FloristB'
flower, and in that sense it is well worthy of all the pains thst
may be lavished upon it, for a stage of well-bloomed Aoricultt
presents a spectacle unsurpassed for richness and precisioa of
eolooring.

As an alpine, we may expect this flower to be tolerably hsrdyi
and so it is, but it is so peculiar in its nature that it will not
bear the treatment to which ordinary hardy subjects are submitted.
It should be remembered that in its native localities among the
Alps, the Auricula is subject to very few changes of temperature,
for during the depths of winter it is covered with that best of
matting, the snow, and although found on moist ledges among
clumps of fern and beds of moss, it is seldom exposed to stagnint

water or long-continued drought. Hence in its culture it needs
during winter the protection of a cold frame, plenty of air even
during cold weather, thorough protection against damp, and, owing
to the mealy nature^ of its^ foliage and flowers, and its tendency
to rot , at the collar if [injudiciously watered, it must never be
wetted over-head — the syringe is just the thing it does not want.
But if those particulars render special care necessary, its general
hardiness and vigour of growth, its ready propagation by division
and cuttings, its free seeding, and easy preservation during winter
even without the aid of glass, largely compensate for such care
as may be necessary in its culture, and fit it most especially for
the circumstances of humble cultivators.

I

POLYANTHUS, AND PBIMULA. 298

In the exhibition of the Auricula properties ai^- yery ekwely
judged, and this flower conforms readily to the idf«l staadard*
certainly more than any other flower. We have brought the
pansy rery nearly to the form of a circle, but the Auricula not
only realizes the outline, but, as it gets higher bred, the indentationB
where the petals meet become less and less, and in the disposition
of the markings the rule that requires equal divisions of the four
concentric rings comprised within the circumference of the flower
is very closely realized. As these several matters are of more
importance in the case of this flower than in most otheis, we
shall be minute in our description of the several points which
constitute a perfect flower.

The terms used in describing an Auricula are as follows:-^
Thrum^ parts of fiructifleation in the tube, or centre of th^
flower. Paste, white circle next to the tube. Ground colour,
circle next to the paste, being the distinctive colour of the
variety. Edge, outer circle or border. Tip is a single flower.
Truss, a number of flowers on a common flower-stalk.

The characteristics of a good flower are that the pip should
consist of four circles, formed at equal distances round a given
point. The first, the tuhe, round, of a yellow colour, the thrum
rising a little above the eye, or paste. The paste, pure white,
dense, and round. The ground colour should be dense and distinct,
perfectly circular next the paste, slightly feathered towards the
edge. The edge should be distinct in colour, whole, and circular,
instead of starry in outline. The whole pip should be round,
flat, and smooth at the edges. All the pips in a tru^s should
show boldly, without overlapping.

In addition to these leading properties, a few other points deserve
consideration. Auriculas are judged in trusses, but in the first
year of blooming it is usual to be lenient on this score and
judge rather by pips. A fine Auricula has a very firm stem,
long enough to carry the blooms above the foliage. The truss
should be very round and compact, but without any crowding
towards the centre, and every pip should stand upon an elastiic
foot-stalk. The faces of the corollas should be regularly presented,
and any ill-placed pip should be removed; but ^ould the removal
destroy the completeness of the truss, it would be better to let

8M TBI Aimcuu,

it remain, and wait tor Ihe next Uoomtng to detemune the nine
of the plant.

lite pipe are the main attoactkm, and if <^ high qualily ne
maj ontiotik waor blemiahea, becanse in e, aeoond blooming IhcM
may diaappear; whereas, if the ptpa are of pow qaaUtr, the grower
may labour in rain to tmng them up to his standard of perfeetiai.
Tban ihonld be at least eight pips in a tnss, and if tlte omollH
are finely dereloped there will seldom be room for mem
than a dooen. A T^rety sofbiess ought to combine with a riohnea
of enhar in iba petals, and the larger and more r^nlar the flower
the better. If the stamens proJHit beytmd the heart it is con-
ridered a fault, bat they ought to fill tlie tube welL Hie fdisge
shonld be healthy, well grown, and almost cover the pot. It it
Tery important that all the pipe should expand at iiie same timr,

for if some of the pips open long before the otters they will
have lost their beauty when the later ones are in their prime,
and to show a Ml truss with every pip iresh and lively is a
great desideratum. The tmsB is also improved if one or more
leaves grow and stand np behind the bloom, for it aseiate the

POLTAVTHUS, A.VJ> PBIMULA. 295

trues, and adds much to the beauty of the ^hole by forming
a background.

Now these sereral points are founded on good taste, as the
illustrations of properties will prove, and in every criticism of a
flower where there is no fixed rule applicable, good taste must
be the basis of criteria. It is evident that with such a flower
as this form is of the first importance, and the regular disposition
of the colours comes next; then we come to the character of the
tinting, in which we expect agreeable contrast or complemental
association of the colours; and, lastly, the truss itself should be
a semi-sphere, well mounted on the stem or pedestal.

The usual mode of exhibiting is in "pairs," that is, two specimens
of different colours together, and it requires good taste to pair
them well. However they may contrast as to colour, they ought
to match well as to size, the foliage, size and height of trusses,
and general excellence in all respects, for it is offensive to the
eye to see a pair composed of one dwarf and one tall plant, or
one faHl of health and vigour and another with scanty foliage,
even if in other respects they pair well. In pairing, a green-
edged makes a good companion to a white^edged, a dark ground
colour should go with a light ground colour, and in no case should
any two kinds that nearly resemble each other be put together
as a pair. Where judges would be puzzled to decide as to relative
excellence of properties between competing flowers, owing to their
being of equal merit, they would have to award the prize to the
pair of best contrasted colours, but as long as they could detect
any evidence of superior culture in any particular specimens, even
if not paired so well as other inferior flowers, we should consider
them bound to give those the award, for though an exhibitor is
bound to group his plants judiciously, skilM cultivation is of higher
merit.

296 THB AUBICULA,

CHAPTEE in.

"In conwe Auricala; arrayed ^e oomea
In splendour, and in livelieet colours blooms.*'

OBNSBAL CULTUBB AND SEASONAL MANAaBMENT.

SiNCB the Auricula blooms very early in the year» the coltme
of established plants may be considered to begin in June, when
the flowering is over. As we do not require artificial lieat m
the culture of this flower, and as improper treatment either hucriaB
it into a sickly growth or promotes its return to its original wild
state, the composition of the soil is ahnost the only condition of
success over which we have complete control, and in no case is
it more important that the soil should be in every sense adapted
to the purpose. Strictly speaking, we have no natural soil suited
to the Auricula, hence composts are essential, and the lover of
this tribe of beauties must not grudge any necessary trouble in
preparing it. The importance of a proper soil has always been
felt, for these 'flowers are easily ruined by small and not very
obvious causes, and being very highly bred, are apt to break
into varieties, and utterly lose character in two or three generatioiu.
This fact has led to a good deal of quackery; the older cultivatois
especially were very empirical in their modes of management; every
grower had his own specific for the preparation of a compost,
and which, of course, he considered to be the best in the world;
but, as in many other cases, the most enlightened experience is
in favour of composts from which all exciting ingredients ano ex-
cluded, a well-decomposed, sweet, and friable material proving
better than any of the powerful nostrums that have been recom-
mended for the purpose. Bear in mind then at starting, that
all strong manures are dangerous, and the more dangerous the
fresher and the hotter they are in their nature.

There are two methods of mixing composts for Auriculas; one
is to make them rather poor, and communicate strength by manure

POLYANTHUS, AND PBIHULA. 297

wateringB or top-dressings; the other to make them of sufficient
richness, that no further aid will be necessary. Many grower©
adopt both plans, using the poorest compost for the growth of
cuttings and seedlings, and the richer one as a top-dressing or
for potting plants at the last shift before blooming. To secure
a good compost for all purposes, take one part of flaky cow-dung
collected in summer, and store it in a dry shed till it has become
caked and chippy. It must be free from worms, and thoroughly
sweet. Add to this two parts of rotted turf, equally well cleansed
from worms, and half a part of sharp gritty river or washed sea-
sand; pit-sand of any description is worthless. Let this be well
mixed and broken, but not sifted, and it will resemble very closely
the gatherings of turfy and gritty yegetable mould in which the
Auneula grows naturally. Another good compost may be madd
of well-rotted hotbed-dung, thoroughly dried and sweetened before
being used, and then mixed with double its bulk of clean leaf-
mould, or mellow loam from a roadside, or the black, peaty, and
powdery stuff that may be found in very old hedgerows, and
which is chiefly made up of many years accumulation of leaves,
drifted sand, and rotted wood. Mr. Hogg used to grow Auriculas
in a simple compost of sound loam with a little sand, previously
worked and turned to pulverize it for a year and a half; and
when the plants were strong enough, they had a top-dressing of
shjsep, deer, or poultry-dung, which were also left for some time
after all fermentation had ceased in them, and then mixed with
the staple ingredients for a top-dressing.

There is one feature in Auricula-culture which renders these
plants especially suited to those who have but little leisure for
gardening pursuits, and that is that they do not require such a
regular course of shifts as most shrubby plants; and, indeed, the
whole art of managing them is one that requires judgment rafcher than
time, discretion rather than labour. To begin, then, with the plants
that have just gone out of bloom. These are to be immediately
re-potted, and the compost should be used rich or poor according
as to whether or not you intend to use manure-water or top-
dressings to help them into bloom. The proper sized pots for
full-grown plants are those called thirty-twos, which, on the
London rule, are Ave and a half or six inches in diameter; for

2 A

298 THB ATTRICVUL,

suckers and cuttings sixties are best. The pots should be new,
or, if previously used, should be well washed and scrubbed, and
dried in the open air a few days before being appropriated again.
Take your plants to the potting bench, trim off dead leaves and
flower-stems, and then prepare the new pots by placing an oyster
shell over the hole of each, and over that an inch of crocks,
then an inch of the flbry part of the loam, or some chopped
moss, and, last of all, another inch of the proper compost.

When you have thus prepared a sufficient number of both large
and small pots, proceed to turn out the plants. This must be
done with care. Turn them out as complete as possible, shake
off the soil from the roots, trim away the suckers with the
thumb-nail or with a clean sharp knife, removing a portion of
the root with each if possible, sparingly trim the roots of the
old plants, and pot each lot as you get them ready, so that ihej
may not be unnecessarily exposed to the air, or the names of
the varieties confounded with each other. In planting the old
roots, it is best to hold the plant in the left hand in the centre
of the new pot, and with the collar rather higher than it is intended
to be ultimately; with the other hand fill in with the soil, neatly
spreading the roots, and creating no bruises anywhere. When
you have filled in to the brim, let go the.^plant, and give the
pot a strike on the bench, which wiU settle the soil and the
plant together to half-an-inch or so below the rim; then fill up
to the rim again, and press the surface gently with your fingers,
so as once more to bring the soil half-an-inch below the edge of
the pot all round, but leaving the plant on a little hillock in
the centre, level with the edge of the pot. By this mode of
planting there is less danger of water getting to the centre of
the plant, which must be guarded against in the culture of the
Auricula. Give them a gentle watering from the spout of a
small pot, letting not a drop touch the foliage, and set them
on a bed of coal-ashes in a shady place, where they will require
no further attention beyond watering occasionally in fine weather,
and keeping clear of weeds and vermin till October. Some pro-
tection should, however, be provided against heavy rains, and the
best is a frame of oiled canvas, to be drawn down only during
showers. The suckers are to be potted in a similar manner, those

POLYANTHUS, AND FBIMULA. 299

that are without rcots had best bo put round the sides of fire-
inch pots, three or four in a pot, and shifted as soon as they
make root singly into small pots, but the rooted suckers, even
if they have ever such a fragment of root to begin with, should
go into small pots singly, though they occupy less space if potted
in the same way as the cuttings.

We now come to the wintering of the plants, and we must
impress on the amateur the necessity of growing the plants as
hardy as possible, for though in a certain sense Auriculas are
tender and delicate things, they are, nevertheless, capable of bearing
a very low temperature, and are always very impatient of heat
or in-door treatment of any kind. The chief things to attend
to during winter are to give as much air as possible at all times,
to secure them agamst damp, whether in the soU of the pots
or about the ground where they stand, and, above all things,
never to let a drop of water go into the heart of the plant.
These little niceties may seem to increase the trouble much, but
in reality it is only a little watchful care that is necessary. Water
must never be dashed about them promiscuously, and the stock
must be inspected at every opportunity, to see that nothing goes
amiss.

Now there are several ways of wintering Auriculas, and among
them the simple weather-board, described at page 77 of the treatise
on the calceolaria, is perhaps as good as any, but a glass frame
hung on hinges would be better, and, instead of a bed of coal-
ashes, which does very weU. a stage of boards, slightly raised
above a dry bottom, would be an improvement, because then you
could more easily regulate the amount of moisture about the plants.
A still better plan is to set a cucumber frame on a platform of
bricks, and then place the plants on a stage, or three inches of
coal-ashes, so that their crowns will be not more than six inches
from the glass. With this contrivance you can give abundance
of air and light, as much or as little water as you please, and
you have full security against storms and frost, at least as much
as Auriculas require. A cold-pit is, of course, equally available.
But the best mode of all is to have a frame constructed expressly
for them, on the plan adopted by Dr. Homer, who is a famous
grower of this charming flower. Dr. Homer's model frame is

900 THE iVRICmji,

faere repreiented, and hk own description of it ia bb foUowH: —

"It Stands on legs between two and three feet high.: iha top
ligbte slide, and, as shown in the diagram, may also be pnqiped
np by means of an iron bar, pertbrated with holes two or three
inches apart, and whicb catch on a pin projecting irom the wood
on which the light rests when down. It is pennanenttf fixed
to the sash by means of a small staple, forming a moveable j<nnl,
and, when not used, lies along its lower edge, and is there secured
The front lights let down on bulges; the ends are also ^aas;
and in the back, which is wood, there is a door for the oonTeniencs

of getting to the jwts behind, and also for thorough ventilation.
There are five rows of shelves, graduated to the slope of the
glass; they have a piece, an inch wide, sawn out of the middle;
there is a space also letl between them; so that the bottom of
the frame is quite open, for abundant admission of air to circnlste
thoroughly around the sides and bottoms of the pots. By letting
down the front light only, the plants may be left, for days together,
exposed to all the advantages of light and air, without oare or
notice; and when it is desirable to give them the benefit of a
shower the top lights are removed."

POLYANTHUS, AND PBIMULA. 901

With any moderate shelter and security against damp, there
is bat little trouble incurred in their winter management. Give
air plentifully during mild weather, and water in the morning
spanngly when the pots are really dry on the surface, choosing
intervals of dry, bright weather for the operation. On really fine
days draw the lights off entirely, but close them the instant rain
occurs; and if the weather is mild and wet» give air at the back
by propping the lights, for if kept close for any length of time,
Auriculas become drawn and sickly, and never bloom as they
should do. The surface soil should be kept free firom moss by
occasionally stirring it, and vermin of all kinds must be kept out
of the frames, and destroyed as soon as discovered.

With such treatment you need have no losses, and during even
the coldest weather the plants will continue to grow, though slowly,
hence they should never be allowed to get dust-dry. At the close
of February is the proper time to top-dress them, to cause them
to bloom strong, and in doing this it is advisable to make a
regular clear out and examination of the stock, so as to give the
frames an airing, and afford an opportunity of hunting any vermin
that may be waking from winter torpor to demolish the new
growth that is commencing. For the top-dressing you ought to
have some rich compost ready, as abready described. The best is
formed of equal parts of two-year-old cow-dung, very rotten leaf-
mould, and light sandy loam. First of all, trim over all the
plants, removing decayed leaves, and setting aside any that appear
to be unhealthy. Then remove from the surface about an inch
and a half of the soil, but with great care not to injure the roots,
and replace it with the dressing, so as nearly to fill the pots,
pressing it firmly to the stem of each plant, and giving a final
watering to settle it. £eplace them in the frame and treat as
before, but especially giving plenty of air to promote a strong
growth. Those that were set aside must be carefully turned out,
and the roots examined, when probably it will be found that the
roots are cankered, in which case every diseased portion must be
cut clean away with a sharp knife, or if you can nip it out with
the thumb-nail it will be better than allowing metal to touch it.
The cut parts should be dusted with powdered charcoal, and it
is a good practice to daub over with the same material the cut

S02 THB AUSICULA,

parts of offsets, and the parent roots from which they Were taken.

The plant most be at once re-potted in poor sandy compost,
and placed in a cool, shady place to recorer. On this subject we
shall have to speak again presently.

The plants that were top-dressed will soon begin to grow yig-
onrously, and as the weather improves they may have additional
supplies of water — ^in fact there must be no starving now, for
they bloom so suddenly as soon as the winter is over, that they
have little time to gather strength, and hence that little must be
made the most of. Towards the middle of March the most for-
ward will shew their bloom-trusses, and by the end of the month
they will all be in a forward state for flowering. Now give plenty
of air on fine days, but be rather more careful as to temperature,
indeed promote warmth by covering them with thick mats at
night, and during bright weather water freely on the soil only.
When they flower let them have shade of some kind and shelter
from rain, but unless you are particularly anxious, owing to scarcity
of window flowers, to place some in the drawing-room windows,
let them all bloom out of doors, for a confined air is at any time
very injurious to this freedom-loving, mountain beauty.

When the bloom is over, place them on a bed of coal-ashes,
where they will have the morning sun only, and guard them
against the attacks of slugs, and the entrance of worms to the
pots. From this point the routine commences again, and we have
completed a season of ordinary culture.

POLYAHTHU8, AND PBIXULA. 303

CHAPTKB IV.

8wBST flower! Spring's earliest, loveliest gemi
While other flowers are idly sleeping,

Thon rearest thy pnrple diadem;
Meekly from thy sedosion peeping.

Bowmno.

HYBBIDIZIlfO AND BAISING SEEDLING AUBICITLAS.

It is an easy and pretty task to raise a collection of seedling
Auriculas, and though out of a large number there will be but few
worthy of preservation as show varieties, a great many of average
merit and really beautiful colouring may be obtained with moderate
care, and the really good ones will be of sufficient value to repay
for the raising of the whole. When left to bloom in collections
the varieties will get naturally crossed, and new hybrids will be
the result of saving and growing the seeds; but it is better in
the case of Auriculas to perform artificial impregnations, and this
is rather a difficult process, for the anthers are not so easily got
at as in most other flowers.

The modus operandi include first bringing the plants together
that are destined for marriage, and the one » chosen for the mother
plant should be selected rather for form than colour, the "daddy"
will give the latter quality if well chosen — ^both should of course
be first-rate of their class. Before the pips of the mother-plant
are quite open, take a very small pair of sharp-pointed scissors,
and cut away the anthers, and immediately cover them with a
bell-glass, to prevent any bee settling with pollen'of his collecting,
and so spoiling your work. As soon as the anthers of the father-
plant are mature, remove some of the pollen with a camel's-hair
pencil, and brush it over the pistils of the mother-flowers, and
immediately replace the bell-glass. This should be repeated on
the flowers tliat are under the process as long as pollen can be
obtained from the chosen plants, and the bell-glass should be kept

904 THB AURICULA,

over every mother-plant until the seed-pods are really set to pre-
Tent the access of insects. Some growers trust entirely to nature,
placing the chosen plants together, far apart from the general
stock ; and such are the freaks of nature, that very good hybrids
are often obtained in this way; but there is more certainly in
artificial impregnation. As the seed-pods swell, the weakest should
be cut away, and the strongest only left to arrive at maturity.

When the flower fades, and the seed-pod is swelling, air may
be given freely. Cut off the seed-vessels as they become brown,
and place them in a dry, sunny place, on a sheet of paper, until
they open. When this takes place, the seeds may be sown at
once on rich, light soil, under a handlight, or, better still, in a
box that may be protected, and easily moved under cover in winter.
Some seed however should always be saved to sow in Febmaiy
or March, as in that case the plants are a good size before they
encounter the first winter. The seed should never be covered
more than the eighth of an inch. On this account it is well to
BOW in pots, plunging them in a gentle hot-bed, and covering each
pot with a square of glass, and shading until the seedlings appear,
when light and air must be gradually given. This would secure
a more imiform vegetating of the seed. As soon as the seedlings
can be easily handled, they should be pricked out into a bed,
about five inches apart, supplied with a frame, so as to be wintered
there, and many will show bloom the following year, when the
good ones may be potted and placed with the Florists' flowers,
and the others transferred to the border.

Neither seedlings nor old plants should be allowed to bloom
in the autunm, for though they will generally produce a second
bloom late in the spring, their autumn blooming reduces their
vigour, and as soon as the trusses appear, they should be nipped
clean out. When the seedlings show their first spring bloom,
mark them all as to colour and quality; get rid of the worst,
propagate the best by offsets, and take care of those of average
merit to see if they improve at their second blooming, but do
not waste time, or patience, on any that are not as good or better
than the sorts you already possess. Eetrogression in floriculture
is not to be tolerated in these days of improvement.

FOLYAKTHUS, AND FBUCITLA. 306

CHAPTEE V.

BXHIBITINO THB AUBICULA.

SoMB remarks have already been made as to the oonditions
requisite to success in exhibiting the Auricula. It is only neces-
sary here to add that from the first opening of the flowers they
should be shaded from the sun, except only for an hour or two
early in the morning. The shade should be removed at night,
and the flowers exposed to the night air and dew, which they
relish exceedingly, but if there are signs of rain, they must be
kept sheltered from it.

In dressing them for exhibition, some little skill is necessary.
If the stems of any are too weak to support the blooms, a piece
of stiff wire, with a hook at one end to catch the stem, must be
thrust into the soil to keep the truss in its proper position; at
the same time, however fine the flowers, the necessity of supporting
them shews the plant to be defective in strength, and hence not
qualified to compete with others of equal merit requiring no
support. On this question of artificial supports, however, judges
are very lenient; in our opinion much more than they should be.

In trimming the trusses, all weak and ill-placed pips should be
entirely removed, so as to reduce the number to from eight to
twelve, and those left to bloom should form as nearly as possible
a spherical outline, and every pip should have room to expand
freely without overlapping or crowding others. There are other
manipulations adopted to get the pips into regular order, and to
make the petals lay fiat and firm, and in precise order all over
the truss; but beyond a certain point this sort of dresaiiig is
illegitimate and dishonest, the merit consists in grovsmg them so
that they conform to rules, not in modelling them afterwards, so
that they may assume a virtue if they have it not. Is it not a
palpable imposition to impress upon a plant by a trick of leget"
domain, qualities which it never possessed naturally — ^what security
has the amateur who buys on the faith of apparent excellence,
and then finds that the excellences of the plant were adventitious,
and owing entirely to the conjuring skill of the grower?

306 THE AT7BICULA,

CHAPTEE VI.

PESTS AND DISEASES OF THE AUBICULA.

The green fly is apt to attack the Auricula at bloomiDg time,
and the more confined the plants the more vigorous will be the
ravages of these pests. It is advisable not to smoke them, but
to remove them one by one with a camel's-hair pencil — an oper-
ation not difficult with these broad-leaved plants, about which the
aphis cannot readily find shelter.

The chief enemy to the grower is canker at the root, the cause
of which cannot be precisely stated, though it is pretty generally
attendant on a damp state of the soil, and the use of too stim-
ulating a manure. Plants affected with this disease lose their
healthy green colour, then the root decays on one side, and some-
times the collar is eaten away, so that the plant falls over on
its side, and at last the head is entirely separated from the root,
and the plant perishes. Strange to say, when this appears in one
or two plants, an inspection of the stock will be pretty sure to
reveal its incipient progress in many, intimating a contagious
character, yet the general opinion is that it is not contagious at
all, but owing simply to improper management of the whole
collection.

As prevention is better than cure, the grower should be par-
ticular to secure good drainage in the pots, and to avoid the use
of a compost, which through being of too fine a texture, would
be apt to run into a paste, or form a clayey mass when moderately
wetted. The old growers were much more troubled vrith this
disease than we are at the present day, so much so, that whole
collections of thousands of plants were sometimes cut off in a
single season; and a grower, who by brilliant successes had made
a good start on the road to fortune, was suddenly reduced to
beggary. The old plan of sifting composts till they were as fine
as dust, and the use of such stimulating compounds as blood,
night-soil, etc., a slight overdoing of which would be pretty sure
to cause the general ruin of a collection, were undoubtedly the

POLYANTHUS, AND PBIMULA. 907

most frequent causes of disaster. Modem practice teaches the
use of milder composts, of such a texture as to the presence
of fibry and gritty materials, that it is impossible for them to
run together, and hence we hear less and less of canker in the
Auricula, or of disease in other plants. If the pots are one-fourth
filled with rubbly charcoal, and the pebbles not too precisely sifted
from the compost, and watering judiciously managed, there will
be little to fear of disease of any sort.

The only way of treating affected plants is to turn them out,
cut away every part of the root that is affected, and at once
re-pot them in sweet, open, and rather poor soil, and then put
them in a cool, shady situation till they commence a new and
healthy growth. Whenever there is an apparent want of vigour
in any of the stock, an inspection of the roots should be imme-
diately made with a view to check this affection in good time.

CHAPTEE Vn.

THE POLYANTHUS. ALPINE AXJBICULAS. OUT-DOOB CULTUBE.

The Polyanthus is a garden variety of the common primrose;
it is, however, very permanent, and shows little disposition to
run back to its wild form of P. vulgaris. The varieties are many,
and, generally speaking, of extreme beauty. It is a more hardy
plant than the Auricula, and is not so soon affected by damp as
that plant, hence it is much used as a bedding and border flower.
As a florists' flower its cultivation is the same in all respects as
the Auricula, with the exception that in making composts less
sand is necessary, and in general treatment there is no necessity
to shelter the foliage from occasional rains; indeed during spring,
while the plants are in frames, a gentle syringing over the leaves
will be found beneficial if done early in the mornings of fine
spring days. We have had them frozen through in the pots for

906 THE AUBICTTLA,

weeks together, and still flower well on the opening of spring;
still it is better to shelter them from yeiy severe weaiher, and
they can be more successfiilly managed if wintered in cold piti
apfurt from Auriculas. As the properties are judged by differant
roles, a precise statement of the latter will be all that we need
say on the subject.

The characteristics of a good Polyanthus are as follows: — ^The
^ant should be healthy; the foliage large and abundant; the
stem stout enough to bear the truss well up above the leates,
which should cover the pot, and rise up in the centre; the trass
should consist of at least five flowers, and the footstalks of each
flower be able to support each bloom level with the rest. Each
flower, or pip, should be round and flat, neither inclined to cup
nor reflex. The pips should be divided, near the outermost edge,
into segments; each division, or segment, should be slightly in-
dented or scolloped in the centre. Each flower should have a
yellow centre, or eye; in the centre of that there should appear
a tube containing the anthers, but the pistil should not be seen.
This yellow centre, including the tube, should be of the same
width as the ground or body colour, which colour should either
be a rich dark crimson or a bright red. Eound this body colour
the margin, or lacing, should appear of a uniform width sur-
rounding each petal, and continuing down the centre of each to
the yellow eye. The colour of this lacing, or margin, should be
uniform, whether it is sulphur, lemon colour, or clear yellow.

For window culture the Alpine sorts are very desirable. They
are lovely things, very hardy, and require only to be secured
against damp and drought to bloom freely and .finely at the cost
of but little trouble. As they are not mealy in the foliage, but
of a fresh hearty green, they are elegant window plants at all
seasons, and are most welcome ornaments to a room in the early
spring, when they send up their trusses of rich dark blooms, pre-
serving their beauty for many weeks with little care, and if they
get a little dusty they may be cleansed with a sponge dipped in
tepid water. Any one may raise them by soi^ving during summer,
from May to August, and potting them ofl* as they require it;
but in greenhouse culture, from December to March is the best
season for sowing all kinds of Auriculas.

FOLTAKTHUS, AKD FBIHULA. 309

Choice kinds may be propagated by diyision of the roots in
July and August, and if put under glass for a few weeks, will
soon make root, but they are apt to fog off if exposed to damp
or strong sunlight. Auriculas and Polyanthuses bedded out hare
a pleasing effect, as they have also on rock-work, especdally the
Alpine kinds, on account of their lovely foliage. In this mode
of growing them the bottom should be well drained by a layer of
broken crockery or potsherds, and the plants set out in a generous
compost, and with some HtUe protection against the July sun.

CHAPTEE Vni.

CULTIVATION OF THE CHINESE FBIMULA.

Of late years the lovely Chinese Primula has become a great
favourite as a greenhouse and window ornament in early spring.
There is no choice plant more easily grown: a succession from
Christmas till nearly Midsummer may be readily insured by a
little management as to the temperature, for they take heat kindly,
and the earliest supply may be brought on in the warmest part
of a house, and others regularly forced to succeed them. There
is no better mode of propagation than by seeds. These should
be saved from the very finest flowers; and whenever it is intended
to save seed, every plant producing inferior blooms should be
destroyed the moment its character is ascertained. Those for the
earliest bloom should be sown in a gentle heat in spring, pricked
out as soon as large enough, and then potted into sixties, and
grown in a cold frame during the summer, in a position where
they can enjoy the morning sun. They like a moderate amount
of moisture, and partial ahade from intense sunshine. In autumn
the plants should be re-potted into blooming-pots at once; but to
make fine specimen plants, the most robust should be shifted
regularly till September, and then left to set for blooming. The

310 THS AUBICUIiJL,

plants for blooming lat;e in the spring should be raised from seed
sown in July and August, and as soon as strong enough, potted
off singly, and rendered as hardy as possible, so as to winter
well in a cool greenhouse, from which they may be transferred to 8
sunmier position as they are required to succeed the earliest.
Thoroughly double and finely formed flowers should be kept on
from cuttings after flowering in April and May, and a few of
the best old plants may be re-potted in spring for a second blo(»n,
but as a rule it is a folly to attempt to presenre old plants of
this species of Primula; a succession of young stock is the only
safe mode of insuring an annual supply of these delicate and
charming flowers.

The soil may be sandy loam and peat, enriched with a Httle
decayed dung; or, if peat is not to be had, a compost of two
parts turfy loam, one part leaf-mould, and one part decayed and
flakey cow-dung, with sufficient coarse sand and charcoal broken
as small as x)^as, to render the whole light and porous. The
winter temperature should not be lower than 40^ for those that
are intended for late blooming; but the earliest must enjoy a
temperature of from 55° to 60^ during the day, and not less
than 45° or 50° at night. As they bloom long before the sun
has any great power, and dwarfiness is essential to their beauty,
they should have plenty of light in the house.

FOLTANTHUS, AHD FSIMULA.

311

LIST OF FIEST-OLASS SHOW AUEICULAS,

SELECTED FBOX THE STOCK OF ME. C. TTIt^^EE, OF THE BOYAL

NUBSEBT, SLOirOH.

ORBEH-EDOED.

Apollo, (Beeston.)
Badajoz, (Pearson.)
Britannia, (Smith.)
Gondnctor, (Headley.)
Dake of Wellington, (Dickson.)
£clipse, (Cockup.)
Imperator, (Litton.)
Jnbilee, (Moor.)
Lady Ann Wilbraham, (Oliver.)
Lady €rardencr, (Compton.)
Lady Mildmay, (Turner.)
Lord Lascelles, (Wood.)
Lord Lyndoch, (Lightbody.)
Lord Nelson, (Howard.)
Lovely Ann, (Oliver.)
Prince Albert, (Dickson.)
Prince of Wales, (Asbton.)
Trafalgar, (Partington.)
Sir John Moore. Frontispiece.
Venus, (Smith.)

GREY-EDOED.

Complete, (Sykes.)

Conqueror of Europe, (Waterhouse.)

Duke of Cambridge, (Dickson.)

Fair Flora, (Beeston.)

General Bolivar, (Smith.)

Helen, (Wilson.)
Lady Jane Grey, (Dixon.)
Lancashire Hero, (Cheetham.)
Mary Ann, (Fletcher.)
Montague, (Mc* Donald.)
Ne Plus Ultra, (Fletcher.)
Perfection, (Bone.)
Privateer, (Grimes.)
Richard Headley, (Lightbody.)
Ringleader, (Kenyon.)
Sophia, (Chapman.)
Squire Chillman, (Willmer.)
Superb, (Headley.)
Surprise, (Buckly)
Unique, (Dickson.)

WHITE -EDGED. '

Catharina, (Summerscales.)

Conqueror, (Popplewell.)

Countess of Dnnmore, (Lightbody.)

Favourite, (Taylor.)

Glory, (Taylor.)

Lord Chancellor, (Kenyon.)

Pillar of Beauty, (Hughes.)

Regular, (Ashworth.^

Robert Bui-ns, (Campbell.)

Smiling Beauty, (Heap.)

True Briton, (Hepworth.)

ALPINE AUEICULAS,

SELECTED FROM THE STOCK OF MR. HOLLAND, OF BRADSHAW GARDENS,

MIDDLETON, NEAR MANCHESTER.

Captain Frascr.

Conspicua.

Crompton's Oldham Hero.

Fair Rosamond.

Favourite.

Fletcher's Fair Helen.
King of the Alps.
Queen Victoria.
Rising Sun.
Willison's Ne Plus Ultra.

312

THB AURICULA.

SELECTION OF FIEST-CLASS POLYANTHUSES,

FROM THE STOCK OF MR. HOLUAKD.

Addis's Kingtisher.
BUlington's Beauty of Over.
Brown's Free Bloomer.
Buck's George IV.
Bullock's Lancer.
Glegg's Lord Crew.
Collier's Princess Bojral.
Cox*s Prince Regent.
Craiggy's Highland Mary.
Craiggy's Queen of the Tyne.
Cronshaw's Exile.
Elliott's Sir Sidney Smith.
Faulkner's Black Prince.
Fillingham's Tantarara.
Fletcher's Defiance.

Gibbon's Royal Sovereign.
Hudson's Rubens.
Hufton's Earl Lincoln.

Lord Rancliffe.

Marquis of Estin.

Maud's Beauty of England.

Nicholson's Gold Lace.

King.

Pearson's Alexander.

Sander's Cheshire Favourite.

Thomson's Duke of Northumberland.

Timmis's Defiance.

Turner's Emperor Buonaparte.

Willison's Lady Milner.

Wilson's Bucephalus.

GARDEN FATOUEITES.

THE

VERBENA, PETUNIA,
AND CINERARIA:

THEIR

HISTORY, PROPERTIES, CULTIVATION,
PROPAGATION, AND GENERAL MANAGEMENT

IN ALL SEASONS.

BY SHIRLEY HIBBERD,

Author of "Rustic Adornments for Homes of Taste,*' etc.

"The varied colours run, and -while they break
On the charra'd eye, the exultinj? florist marks
With secret pride the wonder of his hand.

• • • •

Infinite numbers, delicacies, smells,
With hues on hues expression cannot paint.
The breath of nature, and her endless bloom."

LONDON:

GROOMBRIDGE AND SONS, 5, PATERNOSTER ROW.

M DCCC Lvni.

THE VEEBENA, PETUNIA,
AND CINEEAEIA.

CHAPTEE I.

"Who shall say that flowers

Dress not heaven's own bowers!
Who its love, without them, can fancy, — or sweet floor?

Who shall even dare

To say we sprung not there.
And came not down that Love might bring one piece of heav'n the more!

Oh! pray believe that angels.

From those blue dominions,
Brought us in their white laps down, 'twixt their golden pinions."

LUOH HVKT.

The three subjects to be comprised in this treatise have no
very attractive historical associations. It is true the Yerbena
carries the mind back to the time of the Druids, when the Yer-
vain — the Yerbena of our own British fields — ^was a sacred flower.
They are exotics of somewhat recent introduction, and have not
yet been woven into poetic lays, or consecrated to any special
service by the muses. All that they have to recommend them is
€heir exquisite beauty, and especially as to colour, and this indeed
is quite enough, for what is a modem geometric garden without
a display of Yerbenas and Petunias? At this very moment, while

2 D

342 THE YEBBENA.

March winds are howling, and the young spring is still in tlie
firrasp of winter, every moment threatened with extinction, the
florist is all alive about bedding eflects, little mites of plants are being
potted ofl* in hundreds, and cuttings of all kinds taken by thousands,
to be struck in a moist heat, to increase stock for the summer
display; and it will not be long before the beds will blase again
in hues of sunsets and prairies on fire; and auroras, rainbows, and
gold fields will display themselves in the summer sunshine, in bold
vindication of the bedding system, which, strange to say, still has
its enemies among earnest worshippers of Flora. I do not purpose
here to enter into any disquisition on the moot question of the old
border versus bedding plants; it is quite certain that without
Yerbenas, at least, say what you may against Petunias, the chief
glory of that kind of display would be wanting, for the Yerbena
is the perfection of a bedding plant as to habit and mode of
inflorescence, and it produces such a diversity of colours as in
itself to be sufficient for the production of a complete system of
grouping on a limited scale. As to the Cineraria, look at its ample
trusses of fulgid stars at this season, and for ever after prize it
as the best of all spring flowers.

Taking the Yerbena first as the most important of this bright
trio, we find three distinct classes in the arrangement of species,
and of these two classes are hardy plants of little floricultural
merit. There are about a dozen species of hardy annual Verbe-
nas, natives of North America, Mexico, and Peru, the prettiest of
them being V, auhletia, introduced in 1774, and V, elegans, intro-
duced in 1826. The hardy herbaceous species number about a
dozen more, with a few varieties, and among these Drummond's
V. aubletia, with lilac blossoms, is undoubtedly the best; but V.
Lamherti, V. X. rosea, and F". muUifida alba are not to be treated
with contempt. The florists' varieties come from the greenhouse
herbaceous section, of which there are nearly twenty species, and
no end of improved hybrid varieties. The oldest of these is ?'.
diffusa, introduced from North America in 1818; it is a pretty
blue flower, and the habit spreading. In 1827, F. chamtsdrifolia,
the germander-leaved Yerbena, came from Buenos Ayres, and this
gave us the first of the scarlets; but in 1834 it was beaten by
Tweediana, named after Mr. Tweedie, a botanical collector, in

THB TBBBBHA. 343

whose honour also a gioap of Asclepiad greenhouse twiners bears
the name of Tweedia. The other leading species in this important
section are V, amana, 1828, pinkish purple; pulchella, purple,
1827; teucioides, purplish, 1837; and venusa, rosy, from Buenos
Ajres, 1830. The pretty F. officinalis may be taken as the repre-
sentative of the Verbena on British ground. This is the Vervain
of antiquity, so frequently referred to by the classic poets in their
descriptions of mythological rites and social usages. Indeed the
Somans applied the name Verbena to all herbs used in sacrifices
and the decking of altars, and every god had his peculiar herb
m which he was supposed to find special delight. Tertullius
classes all sacred leaves, such as laurel, olive, myrtle, and rosemary
as Verbenss, and Suetonius uses the term Verben(Uus as descrip-
tive of the crowned and garlanded condition of sacrificing priests
and officiating priestesses, the Vervain being one of the most im-
portant of the mystic plants used in the pagan ceremonies.

In Virgil's twelfth book, where ^neas challenges Tumus to
combat, the Vervain is distinctly mentioned as being used in the
priestly garlands when the grassy altars are raised in preparing
the lists for the encounter. —

"Beneath the walls they measure out the space;
Where with religious rites their common gods they place.
In purest white, the priests their heads attire.
And living waters hear, and holy fire.
And o'er their linen hoods and shaded hair,
Long twisted wreaths of sacred Vervain wear.*'

With the Druids it was nearly as important as the mistletoe,
and was gathered with very solemn rites at the rising of the dog-
star, when neither sun nor moon looked upon it. Before digging
it up, libations of honey were poured forth, and the priest dare
use only his left hand in removing it frx>m the ground. It was
then waved aloft, and the leaves, stalk, and root dried separately
in the shade. It is described in the Druidical writings as "cheer-
ful placid Vervain, which has been borne aloft, and kept apart
from the moon.*' It was then precious as an amulet, as a charm
against evil spirits, and was used in love potions, and to conciliate
friendships, besides being esteemed as a remedy for many virulent

344 THB YBSBBNA.

diseases. Here are some verses commemoratiye of the yirtoeft
of Venrain, but I know not who is their author. —

'There are fairer flowers that bloom on the lea,
And give oat their fragrant scent to the gale;
But the Vervain, with charmed leaf, shall be
The plant of oar choosing, though sceutlese and pkle.

For, wrapped in the veil of thy lowly flower.

They say that a powerful influence dwells.
And that duly call'd in the star-bright hoar.

Thou bindest the heart by thy i)owerfal spells.

We will plant thee beneath oar sheltering tree;

In our bower we will bid thy blossoms unfold;
So fkithfal and firm may our friendships be,

So never may glowing hearts grow cold."

In their botanical characteristics the Verbena, Petunia, and
Cineraria are widely sundered. The Verbena belongs to the
natural order Verhenacea, and in this order its associates are,
Alo^sia, the lemon-scented Verbena; the Lantana, and the Teak,
which has long been famous as ship-timber in the East. It be-
longs to the Linnean class Didi/namia, having four stamens, of
which two are longer than the other two, and the second order
Angiosperma, the seeds contained in a capsule.

The first Petunia introduced into this country was P. nyctagi-
niflorat having a white blossom resembling the Marvel of Peru.
It was brought from South America in 1823. This was followed
in 1827 by P. acuminata^ also white; but little notice was taken
of them till 1831, when P. phcenicea and P. violaoea were introduced
from Buenos Ay res. A little sensation was created when P.
phcenicea first displayed its lovely flowers, but they did not find
their way out of the hands of plant collectors into those of the
florists until the two had been crossed, and hybrids had been
obtained, when as a florists' flower the Petunia took a high place,
and has ever since continued to increase in beauty and popularity.

The Petunia takes its name from Petun^ the Brazilian name
for tobacco, and to the tobacco order of plants it is closely allied;
indeed it is a member of the natural order SolanaceiB, in which
are grouped the tobacco, potato, nightshade, the pretty salpiglossis,

THI TBBBBNjL. ^4&

henbane, stramonium, and numerous other garden and greenhouse
flowers. In the Linnean system it belongs to Pentandria mon-
ogynia, having Ave stamens and one style.

Of the Cineraria but Httle need be said, for it is a member of
the large natural order of composite flowers, respecting which
many remarks have already been made in the treatises on the
Chrysanthemum and DahHa. The Cineraria takes its name from
cineres — ^ashes, in reference to the grey down on the under surfaces
of the leaves. The species are very numerous, at least eighty^
being known to cidtivators, and of these there are few that are
not really beautiM. Among the hardy kinds we have the showy
ipeeiosa from Siberia, and the Tnaritima, or sea ragwort; but the
greenhouse evergreen kinds are those which claim the tender cares
of the florist; most of the hybrid show varieties being the oflspring
of malvtrfolia, lanata, and populifolia, natives of the Azores and
Canary Islands, introduced to this country in 1777 and 1780.
The intensely vivid colours and bold trusses of the Cineraria,
give it a high place among true florists' flowers; and for dazzling
crimsons, blues, browns, and intermediate shades of lilac, puce,
and white, a stage of well-bloomed specimens is scarcely to be
equalled in the whole range of our floral hsts. Their early blooming
and comparative hardiness are additional recommendationB; and
for in-door decoration in spring, the Cineraria is altogether
unsurpassed.

346 THE YEBBEITA.

CHAPTEE n.

VBBBBNA CULTUBB, PBOPAOATION, AND SEASONAL UANAGBHBNT.

The only real difficulty in Verbena caltnre is in wintering the
stock, and to get over this difficulty requires considerable experience,
the lot of the amateur but too often being to see the whole of his
plants perish towards February, spite of every care that may haye
been taken with them. One advantage of such trials and ezpenenees
is that it enables one to be useful to others, and the best teacher is
he who has acquired his own knowledge under difficulties.

The Yerbena may be propagated during any week or day
throughout the year, best of all in autumn and spring, and wont
of all during December and January. Spring propagation may
be said to begin in February and continue till May, but for
bedding purposes the plants are best struck in February and March,
potted into small pots as soon as possible, stopped as they progress,
to make them bushy, and hardened off in good time for transfirarring
to beds and borders at the end of May. To strike cuttings the
first thing necessary is to prepare a light compost of one part
peat, one part leaf-mould, and one part loam, with plenty of
sand, and potsherds broken almost to dust. Use five-inch pots,
with plenty of drainage. The plants to be cut from ought to be
throwing out plenty of young plump side-shoots, and should enjoy
a comfortable temperature to promote their growth. The smallest;
cuttings make the best plants, and every cutting should be taken
off clean under a joint, from which joint the leaves must be
removed, and insert these cuttings close together, all over the pot,
the outside lot to touch the inside of the pot all round. The
soil in the pots ought to be only moderately moist, and there is
additional safety against damping, if before inserting the cuttings,
the compost is covered with £in inch of pure silver-sand. In peat
and sand only they root quickly, but require immediate shifting
into a more nourishing soil.

When the pots are filled with cuttings, dip a hard brush
in water, and holding it beside the pot, draw the hand across it

THB TXRBSVA. 347

briskly, 80 as to dew the cuttings, and then plunge the pots into
a moderate heat, either in a dung pit, a Waltonian case, or in a
propagating hoose. Old tan is a capital plunging medium, but the
heat from half-exhausted dung is undoubtedly the best of all for
soft-wooded plants; keep them close for a week, then give air by
degrees, but still protect them from sunshine, and whenever the
sand gets dry on the surface, water with the finest rose you have,
and dew the tops of the cuttings occasionally of a morning to
prevent them flagging, but be very careful not to keep them
too damp, or you may lose many. In a month, or six weeks at
most, you ought to be able to pot off the greater part into thumbs,
and when this takes place it is best to give them a good start
with moderate heat, for the Verbena does not readily take hold
of new soil when shifted in its early growth. Keep them shaded
at first, and with sufficient bottom heat to enable them to bear
being pretty moist; give air after a week, and increase it by
degrees, and after ten or twelve days, let them enjoy full daylight
and a little sun, and then give plenty of air to induce robustness
of habit. If for pot-culture they should be shifted into sixties as
soon as their roots touch the sides of the thumbs, and be severely
stopped to induce a bushy growth; and in stopping every point
of a shoot nipped off* will make a plant as before. The greatest
care should be taken to keep every lot of cuttings correctly tallied,
or vexatious mistakes are sure to happen afterwards.

Let us now suppose you have propagated successfully, and you
may continue to do so as long as you require plants, even till June,
for blooming the same season. Before bedding out, the plants
should be well hardened and receive no checks, because the sooner
they begin to set for bloom the better. In bedding let them have
a fresh soil if possible, but not a rich one; a strong loam mixed
with plenty of river-sand is imdoubtedly the best. If heavily
manured the plants grow too strong to bloom well, and yet in an
impoverished soil they cut a rather poor figure, so that it is best
either to change the beds every year, or freshen them with an
annual dressing of rotted turf, or virgin soil from a common.

If pegged out every joint makes a root, and this promotes the
flowering and the production of shoots for succession; but this
very rooting habit of the Verbena leads many a novice astray.

348 THX

for when October is dawning the old plants are taken up, the
rooted ronners are separated and potted to keep over winter, and
by the end of the season there is an astonishing number of plants
obtained without any trouble at all; in fact, as easily as you would
get a lot of rooted strawberry runners. But these seldom surviye;
they live till Christmas, and then rot from the bottom, or drop
over and refuse to be comforted.

If you want to propagate the Yerbena strawberry-fashion, you
must begin early. Put a stone on a joint near the point of a
shoot, and at the same time nip out the flower-buds from that
shoot, to induce the two side-buds next it to push. In a fortnight
that joint will have made a good root. Sever the stem, and pot
it into the smallest-sized pot, using a little peat for it to make
its first fresh roots in. In this way you may secure an immense
number of plants from a bed or border, and they ought to be
all potted off and plunged into a cold frame by the middle of
August, or early in September at the latest. Not one should be
allowed to flower, and as fast as the bloom-buds are nipped out
the side-buds will push, and the plants will become bushy. Now
from this stock you may take cuttings to strike in heat, up to
the beginning of October, and after that time none but adepts
should attempt to propagate Verbenas.

Another good plan which combines with it a scheme for wintering,
is to make up a bed of peat in a cold pit, and in this bed to
plant the rooted runners in rows rather close together, not later
than the middle of September. They will soon make fi^sh roots,
and may be wintered there if frost can be kept out effectually;
but I must confess that where there are no means of giving such
a pit the heat of a flue during severe weather, the safety of
Verbenas is very questionable.

Another mode of propagating, and one especially applicable to
new and expensive sorts, whether in pots or bedded out, is to
fill a lot of thumb pots with a peaty compost, and to place these
around the plants, so that the point of a shoot can be pegged
down into each, or fixed by means of a stone, so that one of
the joints near the end of the shoot is firmly pressed to the soil;
that joint to have its pair of leaves removed. K these pots are
kept moist the joints will throw out roots, and may then be cut

tHE TEIBXNA.

849

off from the parent plant, moulded oyer to cover the joint, the
flower-bads picked oat as fast as ihej appear, and the pots kept
a little shaded till the plants are established in them. Whei^
Brilliant de Vaise first came oat, I propagated from one plant
aboat thirty in this way, and still kept plenty of bloom on the
parent; and the yoang plants famished oattings again and again,
so that by the following May I remember to have had a stock
of a hnndred and twenty, and if doable that namber had been
wanted, I could have had them by continued stopping and striking
the joints. Indeed if a sort is valuable, the oattings may be split

Yearbena stem BpUt in half, len^hwiise.

in two, 80 as to keep a joint on each side of the split stem, and
it is even possible to obtain plants from a leaf only, with the
bud as its base; but it is a method too troublesome to be profitable.
Automn-struck jdants are far the best for bedding out early in
the summer, and if well managed all through the winter, will
supply an abundance of cuttings for propagation in spring. As a
rule old plants are worthless, and when taken from the beds in
autumn, it is as well to throw them on the rubbish heap. But
if the sorts are valuable, old plants may be kept over winter just
as you would keep calceolarias and petunias, to furnish spring
cuttings. This rule however admits of exceptions, as I have had

850 THB TBHBBNA.

excellent beds formed of old plants only, and in the second year
they bloom early and free; but for pot-culture and exhibitioa
purposes young stuff must be used.

To winter Verbenas safely there is a necessity for a moderate
amount of artificial heat, and the best of ordinary methods is a
pit heated by a flue. The principal cause of failure with amateurs
is in attempting to winter them with geraniums and hard-wooded
plants, which are allowed to get very dry, so as to withstand a low
temperature; whereas the Yerbena, instead of being aUowed to
•ink into so complete a repose as geraniums will do, is sure to
perish unless kept growing all the winter through, and dfyness is
as fatal to it as frost. Even if wintered in a turf pit without
any means of heat as I have done many a time, they must never
be allowed to go quite dry, for unless the root-action is contin-
uous they sink and are soon past recovery. For this reason it is
essential to have them potted in the autumn, so as to get them
to make fresh roots before the season is over, and the more old
wood there is about them, the less likely are they to make fresh
root when Anally potted off. If struck from runners, and rather
bushy before being stored away for the winter, it is best to cut
them over to promote the growth of the young lower shoots, and
with a collection of any value, those that shew signs of damping
should have their green tops cut off at once, and these tops should
be struck in rather a brisk heat as preferable to losing them al-
together, for the tops will often keep green for a week or two
after the root has been utterly dead; and if seized before it is too
late, these green tops may be struck, and a new strength imparted
to them by the formation of fresh roots from the young joints.
The principal enemy in winter is mildew, and against this sulphur
is a specific, and ventilation a preventive. No damp should be
allowed about the plants, and though the soil should never be
dry, the other extreme of slopping water about them carelessly,
or leaving wet about the stages or on the floor of a pit, must b«
guarded against. In spring, when young cuttings are struck in a
moist heat, green fly is pretty sure to visit them, and fumigating
may be necessary. Never be rash in fumigating newly-struck
Verbenas, two moderate smokings are better than one, and the
smoke should be delivered as cool as possible.

THB txbbbvjl. 861

CHAPTER ni.

CULTUBE OF SEEDLING YEBBENAS.

To raise Verbenas from seed is as easy a matter as raising any
other ordinary greenhouse plant, but to get the seed is certainly
not a light task. Some seed freely, others want a vast deal of
coaxing, and of the new hybrids it is a most difScolt matter to
get even one ripe pod. But seeds are got, and new sorts raised
in immense numbers every year, and for the information of those
who may care to try their hands at the pretty task, a few hints
will be quite in place here. The first difficulty as to getting seed
is owing to the vigour with which the plants sprout and bloom
all the summer long, if in a moderately rich soil and well supplied
with water. If the grower is determined to have seed from a shy
variety, the best way will be to secure autumn-struck plants; get
them into five-inch pots by the first week in April, using a poor
sandy compost, mixed with potsherds, on the starving principle;
They should not be stopped at this potting, but be encouraged to
push into bloom, and as soon as one or two runners take the
lead, cut away the rest, and give only sufficient water to keep
the plants in health, but not to promote a luxuriant growth. Keep
them poor but hearty, with plenty of air, and as soon as the
weather permits, plunge the pots in a border of coal-ashes exposed
to the south, so as to bloom in a full flood of sunshine. By per-
mitting very few heads of bloom, and thinning these out as soon
as the trusses are large enough to enable you to use a small pair
of scissors to them, and at the same time keeping the plants as
dry as possible, so as not to let them flag all the while the blooms
are setting, you will have the best chance of seed, and the object
of getting them forward early is that you may have a double
chance of its ripening; if the first trusses do not seed, the next
may, and the more you can prolong the season the more likely
are you to meet with your reward. As a rule, seed gathered from
any of the florists* varieties will be pretty sure to produce new

258

sorts without artificial crossing; bat where a definite object is
sought, a precise mode of action is necessary, and the chief point
in this precise mode is to effect an actual cross of two chosen
kinds by artificial impregnation. The mother plant must be kept
out of reach of bees, flies, etc., which might bring pollen to it
from other Verbenas. Before it opens bloom, the trasses should
be thinned sererely, or yoa will not have room to operate, for
the trick is a delicate one.

Jast as the flower-bads shew coloar, and are within a day of
opening, take a long thin pin, sach as ladies call a '*lace pin,"
and with this split ap the tabe from the bottom, but withoat

Pod not opened. Pod split np with a piw-

injoring the style. When the tube is thus opened you can remove
the four anthers by means of a pair of tweezers, or with your
finger and thumb if you are clever enough.

The plants should be kept rather close and shaded till the
stigma begins to look varnished, when it is ripe enough to receive
the chosen pollen, which should be taken from a flower just in
its prime, and dusted on it. Every style so dusted should have
a second dose to "make sure,** because in the first application
it may not take. When once the pods have set, remove all other
blooms, and expose the plants to sunshine, to insure a perfect
ripening of the seed. The result is altogether a lottery, but if
the lottery is fairly worked, there is a hoTia fide chance of a prize,
spite of the certainty of many blanks. The prize is worth aim-
ing at, and for those who have time and patience, the Verbena
is a good subject, because new varieties possessing qualities of
real excellence are always in demand, and a man who has added
but one new and good flower to our collections, has not lived in
vain.

THB TBBBSKA. 353

To grow the seed is simple enough. If you have saved a goodly
pinch, divide it, and sow a part as soon as yon get it, saving
the remainder till spring. Sow in pans in powdery peat and
sandy loam, and give a gentle bottom heat When the plants
are large enough, prick them ont in a similar compost, and as
soon as they have made a little progress get them into thumbs,
and thereafter treat them as you would a lot of cuttings. In
spring the time for sowing is from February to April, and as
soon as the weather admits, they should be turned out into an
experimental border to test their merits, and as a matter of course
many will be worthy of annihilation — some will be worth keeping;
and who knows, half a dozen may turn up for which Turner or
Henderson, or any other spirited grower would gladly give you fifty
pounds. It should always be remembered that to amateurs we
are indebted for nine-tenths of the best flowers we possess;
nurserymen purchase the stock, and send them out in their own
names; but in the majority of cases the raisers are non-profes-
sional growers, who pursue the chosen task much more for love
than money.

CHAPTER lY.

CULTUBB OP SPBCIICXN PLANTS.
EXHIBinOH AND PBOPBBTIBS OP SHOW TEBBENAS.

To secure fine pot-plants, choose bushy specimens from autumn
struck cuttings; get these into shallow eight-inch pots, in a compost
of very okl dung one part, peat one part, and turfy loam two
parts, with a moderate addition of sand. Promote a dense regular
growth, and do not allow a single truss to open till the plant is
regularly furnished, so as to bloom all over uniformly. Handsome
specimens cannot be formed by tying out to sticks, but for cut
flowers they may do very well in such a way. If sticks are used
they should be cut short, and set all round the pot, to tie the
shoots out to regularly, so as to form a dense bosh.

354

THE TKBBBSA.

But the best mode of exhibiting tlie TerbeiiA in pots, is to use
a wire trellis of fifVeen inches diameter, furnished with fonr legi
of eereii or eight inohes long; the meahea of the table-trellis to
be one inch and a, half, to allow the shoots to come througt to
train regularly over this, ajid stop as oflen as maj be necewirj
to fill the trelliB all over regularly, and hide it completely; and
the grand point ia to have this trellis covered with an unbroken
mass of blotnu by the day of eihibition, previous to which not

one single truss sboold be allowed to exhaust the energies of the
plant, or check the process of filling np. The tmsaes ought to
be formed three weeks before the day of the show, and the plants
then kept back slightly by moderate shading from the snn in a
cold pit; bat to make sure it ia adviaahle to have a few duplicstes
of each sort intended for exhibition, and to keep one or two of
these a little less forward, by stopping to within three weeks of
the time. They form a splendid feature at exhibitions, when
shown in pots on trellises.

The Bchednles of shows rary coneiderably as to the rule for
showing cut Verbenas, some require three or more trusses of a
kind, others only allow one; and a Httle reflection will convince
any honest exhibitor of this flower, that tingle i/mtaet are those

366

<m\j which admit of tbe flower bnng &Mj jodj^^ It ia one
thing to make a display of boqaets, another to show a flowei so
that its good and bad points are open to &ii inapeddOD; and to
show the Verbena in single tnissee, is to pnt it to a teat snch
•s the ardent cnttiTator will gladly rateoonter.

To exhibit cat bloonu a proper box is neoeesaiy. It shoold be
strongly made of plain deal; »nd tbe aise for twenty-fonr blcKnns
should be twenty inches lon^ twelre inches wide, and firejucbee
deep. It shoold have a lid to fit tight, and without hingee, so

"v

LIUU^UU

as to lift off and on. Inside the box there must be a rim all
round, an inch and a half below tLe top edge, and on this must
rent a sheet of sine, witit foor rows of sis holes out in it, and
under 'each hole a small zine tube most be firmly soldered. The
tubes are to-be filled with water, the stalks of the trasses placed in
them, the lid shut down, and all will go safe from Xiand's End
to John O'Ghroata, or any less distance tiiat may be neceeaaiy.
The best time to out the blooms ia at day-break on the day of
.eshibition, or after sunset the ni^t before.

The propwties of a good Verbena ate in oar view as FoUowe ;— >
The trass should be bold and nearly flat, and the pips should be
regularly disposed all over it, so as to touch each other and

356 THB VERBENA.

completely hide the inside of the truss, and it ought to be in
bloom all over when at its best; if the outside pips fall before
those in the centre open it is a defect, but there is no Verbena
yet in existence that can be said to open simultaneously from the
centre to the circumference. The pips should be round, flat, and
symmetrical; and the petals firm and regular, with a smooth
edge and good substance, and the colour decided and dense. The
eye should be clear and distinct, as in the charming old Sobinson's
Defiance, or the lovely new Souvenir d* Exposition. In a bed the
distinctness of the eye is a great enhancement, still more so with
pot-plants, where each individual flower comes in for a dose
inspection. With all its splendour as to colour and size, Mrs.
Wood/roffe has a poor eye, and beside Defiance or Kin^ of Scarlett,
which has a lovely lemon-coloured eye, looks very poor. A white
Verbena is generally enhanced in its beauty if it has a dark or rosy
eye, as in Mariette, In habit the plant should be dwarf, and the
foliage small, the bloom should be abimdant and the trusses well
supported so as to sufler little during heavy rains.

CHAPTEE V.

BEDDING VEBBENAS.

I CAN only find room for half-a-dozen words on this subject,
and the first is one of advice to those who speculate on new
Verbenas, not to be in haste to bed them. Choice new sorts
should be kept in pots, and a few cuttings taken oflf early, to
put into an experimental border, where their habit may be tested;
for to succeed as a bedder a Verbena must not only be brilliantly
coloured but lasting, free in growth, able to withstand some amount
of drought, and all the blaze of a summer sim; and it ought to
spread neatly and grow close. Brilliant de Vaise and Geant
des Batailles are to my fancy the perfection of models in the
way of bedding Verbenas.

THE YEBBENA. 357

Next, in bedding have the plants pretty well hardened, their size
is of little consequence, for if they are put out as early as the
weather permits they grow rapidly, but of course well- grown plants
make the quickest effect, and for such a little more must be paid
than three shillings a dozen; at which many nurserymen advertise
them.

Lastly, use fresh soil in preference to rich composts, which are
apt to cause a coarse growth, to the prejudice of the blooming.
A sound loam is the best, and during dry weather the beds should
be plentifully watered. Mixtures of colours in beds are seldom
used except by the uninitiated; it is not the best way of displaying
Verbenas. Scarlets edged with variegated Alyssum look charming;
so do whites with Lobelia ramosoides, and blues and purples with
Musk, (a bad bedder;) or Sanvitalia procumheiis. Those who
like to blend the tints of Verbenas, may produce a beautiful effect
by placing them in borders in rows of three, the strongest at the
back, and then allowing the runners to mix each way; if the
colours are well contrasted, so as to give three shades that mix
well, with a suitable edging, the effect is charming.

S5S THE TEBBEKA.

SELECT LIST OF TWENTY VERBENAS,

ESPECIALLY SUITED FOB POT-CULTUBB.

Alba Magna, (Smith.) A first-rate white.

Annie Laurie, (Edmonds.) Bosy purple, white centre, large pips, and a

free grower.
Attraction, (Edmondf.) Ruby crimson, lemon eye.
Countess of Oxford, (Bragg.) Lavender, or silver grey, white eye; fine.
Criterion, (Weatherill.) Self rosy pink ; excellent babit.
Dr. Maclean, (Edmonds.) Rosy purple, large white eye ; good habit.
Duchess of Northumberland, (Barker.) Pinky peach, very dwar^ suitable

for any purpose.
Etoile de Venus, (Leon Lille.) Delicate blush, rosy purple centre; habit

spreading.
Evening Star, (Edmonds.) Carmine, yellow eye; free bloomer.
Geant des Batailles. Deep crimson, dark centre; superb.
Moonlight, (Bragg.) Pure white, the best white for pot-culture.
Mrs. D. Tyson. White, with crimson eye.
Mrs. Hoi ford. Waxy white ; the finest of its class out.
Orb of Day, (Hovey.) Deep scarlet, erect habit, large truss.
Pre-eminent, (Edmonds.) Ruby red, large pure white eye.
Purple King, (Reeves.) Bluish purple, splendid.
Rosy Gem, (Edmonds.) Deep rose, very brilliant; a great acquisition.
Scarlet (Jem, (Weatherill.) Dazzling orange scarlet, with crimson eye; of

the highest merit.
Standard Bearer, (Edmonds.) Rich blue purple, white centre.
Wonderful, (Edmonds.) Rich plum, white centre; fit for any purpose.

SELECTION OF VEKBENAS FOR BEDDING.

ABBANGED IN COLOUBS.

White— Bride, Mont Blanc, Mrs. Holford, Mrs. H. Williams, and White

Perfection.
Lilac and Blue. — Bine Bonnet, General Bosquet, (these two are the nearest

to blue yet obtained,) Standard Bearer, and Victory.

THE TEBBBNA. 359

Purple akd Mulbebrt.— Duke of Cambridge, Emma, Field Marshal,

Imperialis, King of Naples, and WonderftU.
Crimson and Pink,— Attraction, Brilliant de Vaise, Crimson Perfection,

Geant des BataUles, Gloire de France, B^ng of Sardinia, Loveliness,

Madame Piantamoor, and (£11 Brilliant
Scarlet.— Boole de Feu, Defiance, Emperor of Scarlets, Gloire de Saint

Etienne, Inglefield Scarlet, King of Scarlets, Lord Raglan, Miss Trotter,

Satellite, and Scarlet Gem.

TWELVE NEW VERBENAS OF FIEST-EATE

EXCELLENCE.

Angelica Kaufinan, (Banks.) Very distinct grey, with dark centre; quite

a novelty.
Dazzle, (Evans.)— Orange scarlet, lai^e clear yellow eye ; first-rate bedder.
Lady Albinia Foster, (Breeoe.)— Cerise rose, yellow eye, surrounded with

dark crimson; a fine show variety.
Lady Palmerston, (Banks.)— Salmon phik, red marking round a yellow

eye.
Lady Turner, (Breeze.)— Salmon pink, large yellow eye; proves the best

of its colour for garden purposes.
Madame Loudier. Crimson scarlet, rose stripe; novel.
Marmion, (Breeze.) — Deep velvety maroon crimson, large light eye; quite

an acquisition.
Mrs. A. Mildmay, (Breeze.)— Bright clear rose, dark shade in the centre,

straw-coloured eye; a lovely bedder.
Prince of Prussia, (Breeze.)— Pure self-coloured violet plum ; splendid for

bedding. (Frontispiece.)
Queen of Oude, (Breeze.)— The darkest violet plum, velvety, large white

eye.
Reine des Panaches. — White-striped violet; striking.
Souvenir de TExposition.- Blush pink, crimson eye ; one of the most splendid

of the new varieties, and a capital bedder.

*ik* Many of those entered for bedding are also well suited for pot-cul-
ture, and vice versa; but the inexperienced cultivator may safely select in
accordance with the lists, exercising his own taste as to colours, and it
will be impossible then for any mistake to occur, as there is not one flower
entered which has not been proved to possess the qualities assigned to it ;
this particularly applies to the list of bedders.

THE PETUNIA.

CHAPTER I.

CH1B1.CTBBIBTICS IKD PBOfEBTIBS C

Taa Fetania is certainly a valuable beddw, bat aa a pot-plant
tbe poverty of its foliage is a great drawback; to be eare we
hare some pretty Petunias with variegated leavea, but as far as
we have got with, tiiem, at present they can hardly claim to be
claBaed with the "foliaged plants," that are now becoming so
deseirediy fashionable. As a bedder, however, the Fetuma has
legitimate uses ; and as a florists' flower it is not altogether
unworthy of high culture. One great recommendation of the
Fetnnia is that it is an easy subject to manage, and a stock of
autumn-struck cuttings may be very safely wintered in a dry pit,
if not allowed to sink below 38°: the slightest touch of Iroat

362 THE PBTUNIA.

''settles it" quickly, and damp is one of its most inveterate
enemies.

As a subject for seedling culture the Petunia is very promising,
and now that we have a race of double flowers the field of
operations is vastly enlarged. Indeed there are few things that
sport more readily; and with the Petunia there is a tendency
to the production of monstrosities, indeed green-edged flowers of
good or bad shape may be expected from almost every packet of
seed.

Among novelties the double white Petunia, Imperialis, still
keeps its place as a splendid plant for pot-culture, though alto-
gether a failure for bedding, as the miserable specimens on the
rose-mound at Sydenham last year might have convinced the
most enthusiastic. There has been a good deal said both for and
against this Petunia, but having grown a large stock for two
successive seasons, I can honestly testify of its excellence as
first-rate for greenhouse decoration. The flowers are large and
waxy, and famous things for cutting; and, as to growth, it is
as &ee as a pansy, and comes as quickly and surely by cuttiags.
The most curious part of the story is that it has actually
seeded, and will turn out to be useful as a breeder, so that we
none of us know what the future may have in store for us in
the Petunia way.

This present season (1858) double Petunias will be fashionable;
Boucharlet, of Lyons, sends out a round dozen of all colours;
one, Dr. Lindley, he describes as two inches in diameter, calyx
like a datura, carmine, shaded to lake; and another, Napoleon
III., three inches and a half in diameter, dark violet, striped
white and lilac, shaded blue and slate. Messrs. Henderson, of
the Wellington Nursery, also send out a collection of five, raised
by Mr. Grieves, namely. General Savelock, Antigone, Sesperis,
lied Cross Banner^ and Maid of Kildare, Among the double
Petunias imported from the continent this season, the most
promising are Azora, lilac and white, with reflexed petals;
Erlinde, lilac, exquisite form ; Iphigenia, greenish, richly scented ;
and Schmuch des Umthales, light purple, shaded with carmine
and satin lustre, carnation scented. These last are imported by
Mr. F. Winstanley, of Manchester.

THS FBTUmEi.. 363

la judging the Petunia as a shcy^-flower tbe following are the
leading points: — ^The flower should be round, without notches on
the edge, and it should be rather inclined to* cup, that is, the
outer edges should not bend back. The petals should be stout,
and able to keep the form nearly as long as the colour lasts
perfect. When a self, it should be dear without Aiding at the
edges; when striped, each stripe should be well-defined, and
each colour distinct Each flower should be at least one and a
half to two inches across; if large they are liable to bend back.
The plant should be rather dwarf, and produce flowers abundantly;
the foliage should be rather small, in order that every flower
may be seen distinctly*

CHAPTEE n.

SBASOKAL MAKAGBMBITT. FBOPAGATIOK AND CULTUBB

OP SPECIMBH FLAKT8.

Thb best soil for the Petunia, when grown as a pot-plant, is
a compost of a light, rich, open character, and to make a heap for
the purpose proceed as follows: — Get some turf firom an upland
pasture, lay it up and turn it over for a year at least, then add
to it an equal quantity of sweet leaf-mould and peat-earth from
a dry moor, with a liberal addition of river or silver-sand. This
is the perfection of a compost, and will do for many other soft-
wooded plants besides Petunias. If it is not within your means
to make such a compost, and to wait a year for its preparation,
take crumbly peat, yellow loam, leaf-mould, and very rotten cow-
dung and silver-sand in equal quantities, mix them well, and in
potting add a few pieces of charcoal to keep the soil open.

It is always necessary for a flower-grower to remember well
what is the constitution of every plant on which he may bestow
his care. Now, it must be borne in mind that the Petunia
has a delicate root, which soon rots in undue moisture; its
foliage is incapable of bearing long-continued exposure to dry
winds and sun, and hence a medium sort of treatment is neces-

364 THE PBTUNIi..

sary. This involves small pots, very moderate watering, occasional
shade during the fiercest of summer-heat, and efficient drainage
of the roots at aU times.

The propagation of the Petunia is conducted in much the
same way as the verbena ; it comes from seeds and cuttings, but
must ordinarily be treated as an annual. The seeds may be
sown in shallow pans in a moderate heat in February or March,
pricked off as they come on into four-inch pots, then potted into
sixties, and shifted regularly till they bloom. During their growth
they may be frequently stopped, and the points put in as cut-
tings; but as soon as the plants have flowered out, they may be
flung away, unless seed is wanted, for it is folly to keep stock of
old plants through the winter; they will worry you to death to
keep them alive till January, and then, in spite of you, will
perish.

To obviate the consequences attending the loss of old plants,
the lover of the Petunia must depend upon young stuff. It
may be worth while sometimes to make extra eflbrts to keep a
few old plants over winter, when they have shewn fine qualities;
but these are to be kept, not for a second blooming, but to take
cuttings from in spring for striking in heat; and this plan of
propagating specially applies to the sorts that are to be used for
bedding.

For greenhouse culture, there is nothing like raising new stock
in autumn. The young shoots strike easily in sand in a cold pit,
and require no protection from bell-glasses, merely shading from
the hot sun. Some folks keep them in the cutting-pots all win-
ter, but fine plants are never produced in that way; they ought
to be potted ofl* as soon as rooted, shaded, and moderately
watered till well established; and then consigned to a shelf near
the glass in the greenhouse, and with two or three pottings in
spring, and stopping every shoot at the third joint, magnificent
plants may be produced to bloom the summer through. But if
the cultivator has a fear as to their safe wintering, he may begin
in February. The cuttings must be small side-shoots, put in in
the usual way, and the pots plunged in bottom-heat and kept
close for a short time; they soon root, and must then be potted
ofi*. Place them in heat again to give them a start, and as soon

THE PSTUNIA. 365

as they begin to grow, top them, and put in the tops as cuttings.
In the same way stop every shoot, and keep on shifting as the
plants increase in size, but always guard against excess of
moisture. Too dry rather than too wet is the rule for growing
Petunias. As they get established, light and air must -be given
freely, and but little heat will be needed as spring advances.
As they become bushy peg them out; if this is neglected, they
will grow towards the centre, and will soon be ruined. Shift
again, and continue stopping at the third joint, and as they
begin to shew bloom, water occasionally with weak liquid manure.
On no account let them suffer for want of pegging down and
tying out; there is nothing more slovenly than to let plants
"grow any how," till they are past trimming, and then to put
them in order by forcing their shoots this way and that. They
must be kept open and orderly at every stage, and the light
wUl We free play on every stem, and every part of a stem,
and your reward will be seen when blooming-time comes.

By this plan you may make successional shifts, starting with
three-inch pots and ending with eight-inch, and by the middle
of May or beginning of June your plants ought to measure
three feet in diameter, and eighteen inches high, with fine foliage
down to the pot, and abundance of bloom from head to foot,
superb specimens of floricultural art. As they open they should
be placed in saucers, kept constantly full of liquid manure, for
then you have nothing to fear in giving them abundance of
moisture. A light sprinkling over the foliage in the morning
will do them good, and if you mean to exhibit, you ought to
pinch off every bloom till within ten days of the exhibition,
giving plenty of air and sun meanwhile, and for the remainder
of the period shading them during mid-day.

SELECT LIST OF PETUNIAS FOR POT-CULTFRE.

Adolphe Hwass. Purple; very large.

Adolphe Weick. Rich velvety purple; semi-double.

Countess of Ellesmere. Bright rosy scarlet, with white eye.

366 THB PBTCHIA.

Dr. Andry. Rose amaranth, bordered and striped white ; also a good
hedder.

Forst Yon Schwarsboiig. Violet parple tbvoat; purplish red centre, mar-
gined with green.

Gloriosa. Very large; light peach, with deep green border.

Herraione, (Smith.) Bhish white, regularly marked and spotted with
bright purple; charming.

Imperialis. Doable white ; ^oold be in every coUection.

Imperatrice Eugenie. Rosy, striped white»

Lady Alice Peel The best pot Petunia yet produced.

Little Nell, (Smith.) Sose and crimson striped; close compact habit,
excellent also for bedding.

Madame Gloede. Carmine ground, much pencilled.

Majestic, (Turner.) Violet crimson, edged with deep rosy blush, and
veined with purple; fine fbrm and substance.

Ma^ Domo, (Turner.) Rosy blush, rosy crimson centre, dark throat.

Marquis de la Ferte. Rose peach; fine.

Marquis de St. Innocent. Beautiftdly striped, like a camatioQ.

Madame Eugenie Lemichez. Peach, edged with white.

Purpurea Alba, (Turner.) Purple ground, veined with crimson, and mar-
gined with white; splendid.

Shrubland White. Known at Sydenham as Royal White; good form and
substance.

SELECTION OF THE FINEST PETUNIAS

FOE BEDDING.

Crimson Perfection. Deep crimson, with dark throat; good substance.

Favourite. An improved Shrubland Rose.

Montreal Purple. Rich purple; good form and substance.

Prince Albert. Warm puce; used everywhere for bedding.

Purple Prince. Rosy purple; good substance and lasting.

Queen of the Whites, (Wynes, 1858.) Good substance, and lasting.

Queen of the Crimsons, (Wynes, 1858.) Bright and rich, and of excellent

form and substance.
Shrubland Rose. Dark rose, white throat; [still good, though beaten by

Favourite.
Springfield Purple. Deep velvety purple; large flower and good habit.
Springfield Rival. Deep crimson; large fiower, first-rate.
White Giant. A good white, but none of the whites can be conscientiously

recommended for bedding.

THE CINEEAEIA.

This window-pet is a sort of companion to the Chinese pri-
mula; both come into bloom together, but the primulas are
exhausted while the Cinerarias are yet in their prime. The
Cineraria is one of the many high-class flowers which prove to
be so nearly hardy, that everybody may cultivate them; and
this is the reason why geraniums, calceolarias, fuchsias, genistas,
pansies, auriculas, chrysanthemums, dahlias, and cinerarias, are the
most popular of popular flowers.

I shall suppose that your Cinerarias have just done blooming.
Those that were really good, save; those that were poor or only
middling, throw away; for it is a waste of time to propagate
anything of a second or third-rate character. As soon as your
good plants begin to look shabby, cut off the flower-stems, and
trim out any flower-buds that may be seen pushing from below;
it would be a folly to let them bloom any longer, because the
plants would be exhausted. Prepare a bed of coal-ashes in an
open shady place, and on this bed range the pots containing the
plants. If any offsets have risen and grown pretty, strong, slip
them off very neatly with a sharp knife, taking care that you
have as much root as belongs to them, and then pile up round
the stem of each of the old plants a little cone of fine sandy
mould, the more sandy the better. Pot the offsets at once into
small pots, water them, and place them in a cold frame, on a

370 THE CINEBABIA.

bed of ashes; shade them for a fortnight, and by that time they
will be well rooted.

In the meantime the old plants will, from the base of the stem,
put oat fibres into the sandy soil that was piled round the collar
of each, and numerous offsets will break through, each of which
must be slipped off when possessed of two or more leaves, and
potted as just described. In this way every good plant will give
you from half a dozen to u dozen young ones, and you will have
stock to start with. If the old plants are turned out into a border
after flowering, they will be still more prolific of shoots and
suckers.

When the offsets have been potted about three weeks, they will
require shifting into pots a size larger, and though at the first
potting any light fibrous sandy soil will do — ^and there ought to
be plenty of sharp silver-sand mixed with it — at the next potting
they must have a soil specially prepared for them, and this soil
must be compounded thus: — G^et some turfy loam from an upland
pasture, some two-year (dd leaf-mould, and some fibrous peat,
some very rotten cow-dung, some river-sand, and plenty of broken
potsherds in various sizes, some being as small as peas. In making
up the compost, use turfy loam two bushels, peat, leaf-mould, and
cow-dung one bushel each, and half a bushel of sharp river-sand
The compost must be well chopped up, and brought to a friable
condition, in fact, made as fine as it can be without sifting, Never
sift your soils unless specially directed to do so; the practice has
marred many a good man's work, who thought that fine flowers
and fine soil were necessarily related to each other. From the
time the plants have this second potting, they grow steadily, and
must never get pot-bound. To know when to shift them, turn
one out carefully, and ascertain the state of the roots; if they fill
the pot, then the plant must have a pot a size larger, and so on
till they get into eight-inch pots for blooming, but of that presently.
Beware of one error common to beginners, never place a choice
plant in a pot larger than it can fill in a few weeks; the secret
of success is in the succession of shifts, one size larger each time»
except in the case of such plants as do not bear shifting at all,
very few of which are classed as "florists* flowers."

Another mode of raising young stock is by seed. This should

THE CIKEBABIA. 371

be sown daring May and June, if purchased; and if raised at
home from choice specimen plants, sow it the moment it is suffi-
ciently ripe. The best way to sow it is to procure some shallow
pans, fill them with fine light soil, water moderately, sprinkle the
seed thinly on the surface, and just cover with silver-sand. In a
cold pit they need no artificial heat. As soon as the seedlings
have two or three leaves, prick them out into small pots, in a
similar light soil, adding a little leaf -mould to nourish them; and
as «oon as they fill these small pots with roots, shift them to a
size larger and use the compost just described. From this time
seedlings and offsets need the same treatment. If the seed is really
good, the seedling plants will make the finest show at blooming
time — there is nothing like sowing seed if you want variety in
florists' flowers. They come of all colours in endless profusion,
and they have generally greater strength than plants propagated
from offsets or cuttings.

By this time Jack Frost will be making an occasional morning
call, and your Cinerarias must be prepared to pass through the
winter safely. Though these plants are generally wintered in
greenhouses, it should be borne in mind that they cannot stand
any amount of heat; in fact, they winter best in a common cold
frame, well banked up with litter or dry fern, to keep the frost
from penetrating at the sides and ends. Give them a shift as
they require it, using always plenty of drainage, and putting over
the layer of broken pots some of the rougher parts of the compost,
to prevent the soil from washing down and causing them to be
water-logged. There are few things that root faster than the
Cineraria, so you must keep a sharp look-out to give them more
room as they require it. Every shift is a slight check that oAuses
the plant to grow dwarf and compact, at the same time the ad-
ditional root-room given strengthens the formation of the trusses
of bloom, which should ultimately rise up in dense heads from
close-growing, broad-leaved» healthy-looking plants. They are very
brittle, and in potting must be handled tenderly, as every injury
leads to a loss of sap, which deteriorates the plant and causes
imperfect blooming.

When winter has fairly set in, every necessary precaution must
be taken to prevent injury from frost. In severe weather the

2 F

872 THB airsRisii..

frames must be oorered with mats night and day, and even litter
or fern added to that, if the frost should be intense; lor thon^
they repudiate heat, they also flinch before frost, and once seriously
attacked never recover. Every fine day give air and light, but
rather than let frost into the frames, they may be kept covered
ap for a fortnight together; thongh, of conise tiiat is not advisable
unless the case is desperate. By having the plants strong and
healthy, and well aired up to the last moment, and then kept
as dry and dean as possible, Ihere will be little fear of losses
through frost, if the precautions that we advise be adopted in
time.

As soon as the first blush of spring calls vegetation to its
seasonal renewal, bring your Cineranas to the greenhouse, and
give them a cool place very close to the glass. If you have no
greenhouse let them remain in the frames, or bring the forwardest
in-doors to complete their growth in the windows. Now the
flower-stems will push rapidly from your healthy large-leaved
plants. Those that want opening and supporting with sticks must
be neatly banded; but if for exhibition, all such supports must be
removed a day or two before the show, or your plants may be
looked upon as cripples, and in fact show-flowers that need sticks
usually are cripples. You have now only to wait, and the reward
for your care will be worthy your acceptance. A good Cineraria
should have a solid truss, the flowers touching each other, and
forming one grand globular mass of intensely bright colour. Each
individual flower should be nearly or quite circular, and the less
the florets divide around the edge the better; in fact, a model
flower should be as completely circular as a florin, with no visible
indentations on the edge, the central disk measuring one-third of
the entire diameter, and the colour, whatever it is, decided and
brilliant. Even finely-coloured flowers are apt to come loose, and
with deep divisions between the florets. We have yet to bring
the Cineraria to the very perfect and unbroken cardie that the
florist demands of it.

A few words must be said as to the diseases and pests of this
flower. The Cineraria is a soft-wooded plant, and like all others
of that kind, is apt to "damp off*," that is, to rot where the
plant meets the surface of the mould. Silver-sand strewed on the

THE CINSBABU. 878

surface is a good preventive of damping; but the grand point is
to give air and water judiciously--only as much of the latter as
the plants really require, — ^it is the excess, causing coldness and
stagnation of the sap, that causes ''damping," which is a rare
calamity in the stock of an assiduous grower.

Ghreen fly is a very common pest of the Cineraria, the great
preventive in this case is to grow the plants as hardy as possible,
"coddled" plants being always most readily affected. Tobacco
smoke soon settles the fly, but any excess of it is a great injury
to this succulent plant, which really has a poor power of resistance,
on account of its moist absorbent nature — ^it has no woody fibre
to ML back upon, and hence, though comparatively hardy, will
not bear with impunity any extremes of treatment, or any very
violent attacks of its enemies.

374 THE CINEBABIA.

LIST OF TWELYE FIEST-CLASS SHOW

CINEEAEIAS.

Brilliant, (Lidgard.)— White ground, light azare bine edge, dark centre.

Consplcaa, (Wheeler.) — Pure white ground, broadly margined with rosy
purple ; dwarf habit, and fine trusses.

Earl of Clarendon, (Turner.)— Deep violet ground with red ring round a
dark disk; very superior.

Emperor of the French, (Turner.) — White ground, broad rosy crimson
margin, dark disk, large flower, and finely-formed truss.

ExceMor, (Turner.) — Clear pearl white ground, margined with Tiolet; aa
improved Scottish chieftain.

Exquisite, (Dobson.)— Pure white ground, margined with rosy crimson,
dark disk; fit for an exhibition stage anywhere.

Fascination, (Henderson.) — Deep blue, with distinct white circle round a
blue disk.

Magnum Bonum, (Turner.) — Bright rosy purple, with white ring surrounding
a black disk; a grand variety.

Miss Laboucliere, (Bousie.) — White ground, with narrow margin of rosy
lilac; cha^ng.

Optima, (Bousie.) — White ground, with a broad deep blue edge, and disk
of same colour ; one of the finest for exhibition.

Picturata, (Henderson.) — Clear white ground, margined with rosy purple,
lavender disk.

Sir Charles Napier, (Turner.)— Rich blue self, dark disk; fine form and
substance.

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